title: The relationship between "food addiction" and visceral adiposity in young females.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  There is increasing interest in the role of addictive-like eating in weight gain. No studies have investigated associations between addictive-like eating and specific patterns of fat deposition which are sensitive indicators of chronic disease risk. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate relationships between Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) assessed "food addiction" and visceral adiposity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Australian adults aged 18-35 years were recruited to an online survey including demographics and the YFAS. The YFAS is a 25-item tool designed to assess addictive-like eating behaviors and uses two scoring outputs, "diagnosis" and "symptom scores". Participants had their anthropometric measurements taken [height, weight and body composition (visceral fat, fat mass, percentage body fat)] using a standardized protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-three female participants (age 24.3±4.0 years, BMI 24.3±6.0 kg/m(2)) completed all measurements. Twenty-one participants (22.3%) met the predefined criteria for YFAS "diagnosis". YFAS "symptom scores" were moderately correlated with visceral fat area (r=0.36, p<0.001), and "symptom scores" predicted increases in visceral fat area [r(2)=0.17, β=1.17, p=0.001]. Effect sizes were moderate for all variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that YFAS assessed FA was associated with visceral fat deposition, a sensitive indicator of increased cardiometabolic risk. Future research is required to investigate whether FA predicts future weight gain.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: Kirrilly.pursey@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Kirrilly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Pursey
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States. Electronic address: agearhar@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Ashley N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gearhardt
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia; Priority Research Centre in Physical Activity and Nutrition, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia. Electronic address: Tracy.burrows@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Tracy L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Burrows
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D056928:X-Ray Absorption Spectroscopy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adiposity; Food addiction; Visceral fat; Yale Food Addiction Scale