title: Validation of the Yale Food Addiction Scale among a weight-loss surgery population.
abstract: The Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), recently validated in college students and binge eaters, is a means to assess "food addiction" in accordance with DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence. Using online survey methodology, we aimed to validate the use of the YFAS among weight loss surgery (WLS) patients. Participants completed measures about pre-WLS food addiction (YFAS), emotional and binge eating, behavioral activation and inhibition, and pre- and post-WLS substance use. A sample of 67 WLS patients (59.7% Roux-en-Y) was recruited; participants were 62.7% female, 86.6% Caucasian, had a mean age of 42.7; and 53.7% met the criteria for pre-WLS food addiction. Convergent validity was found between the YFAS and measures of emotional eating (r=.368, p<.05) and binge eating (r=.469, p<.05). Discriminant validity was supported in that problematic substance use, behavioral activation, and behavioral inhibition were not associated with YFAS scores. Incremental validity was supported in that the YFAS explained a significant proportion of additional variance in binge eating scores, beyond that predicted by emotional eating (EES) and disordered eating behavior (EAT-26). Those meeting the food addiction criteria had poorer percent total weight loss outcomes (32% vs. 27%). There was a nonsignificant trend towards those with higher food addiction being more likely to admit to post-WLS problematic substance use (i.e., potential "addiction transfer"; 53% vs. 39%). Results support the use of the YFAS as a valid measure of food addiction among WLS patients. Future research with a larger sample may shed light on potentially important relationships between pre-surgical food addiction and both weight and substance use outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Eastern Michigan University, Psychology Department, Ypsilanti, MI, USA. sclark42@emich.edu
authors.forename: Shannon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: Karen K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Saules
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D050110:Bariatric Surgery / Q000523:psychology*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome