title: Food cravings, food addiction, and a dopamine-resistant (DRD2 A1) receptor polymorphism in Asian American college students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In an era where obesity remains an important public health concern, food addiction has emerged as a possible contributor to obesity. The DRD2 gene is the most studied polymorphism. The aim of this study was to investigate a relationship between food addiction questionnaires, body composition measurements, and a dopamine- resistant receptor polymorphism (DRD2 A1) among Asian Americans.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 84 Asian American college students were recruited. Participants underwent body composition measurement via bioelectrical impedance, answered questionnaires (Food Craving Inventory and Power of Food Scale), and had blood drawn for genotyping (PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no difference in body composition (BMI, percent body fat) between the A1 (A1A1 or A1A2) and A2 (A2A2) groups. There were statistically significant differences in food cravings of carbohydrates and fast food on the Food Craving Inventory between the A1 and A2 groups (p=0.03), but not for sugar or fat. Among Asian college females, there was also a difference on the Power of Food questionnaire (p=0.04), which was not seen among men. 13 out of 55 women also had >30% body fat at a BMI of 21.4 to 28.5 kg/m2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Greater carbohydrate and fast food craving was associated with the DRD2 A1 versus A2 allele among Asian Americans. Further studies examining the ability of dopamine agonists to affect food craving and to reduce body fat in Asian American are warranted. More studies in food addiction among obese Asian Americans are needed with careful definition of obesity, specifically for Asian women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Email: joyeh@mail.cho.org.
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trang
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Susanne M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Henning
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Statistics Core, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Holly
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wilhalme
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carpenter
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Heber
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Zhaoping
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001213:Asian / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology; D001823:Body Composition; D066249:Craving; D017097:Electric Impedance; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D015141:Los Angeles; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2 / Q000235:genetics*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C581293:DRD2 protein, human; D017448:Receptors, Dopamine D2