Associations of food addiction with metabolic control, medical complications and depression among patients with type 2 diabetes

• Published in: Acta diabetologica Vol. 57; no. 9; pp. 1093 - 1100
• Main Authors: Nicolau, Joana, Romerosa, Juan Manuel, Rodríguez, Irene, Sanchís, Pilar, Bonet, Aina, Arteaga, Magdalena, Fortuny, Regina, Masmiquel, Lluís
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Milan Springer Milan 01.09.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Addictions; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetic neuropathy; Diabetic retinopathy; Health Education and psycho-social aspects; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Mental depression; Metabolic Diseases; Microvasculature; Nephropathy; Original Article; Patients; Retinopathy; Type 2 diabetes; Depression; Glycated hemoglobin; Microvascular complications; Food addiction
• ISSN: 0940-5429; 1432-5233
• DOI: 10.1007/s00592-020-01519-3

Aims Food addiction (FA) is conceptualized as a behavioral pattern that is similar in some ways to addictions to alcohol and other substances. This disorder has not been well studied among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM). We aimed to analyze if there is any relationship between FA and clinical or psychological variables among patients with T2DM. Methods Three hundred patients with T2DM were analyzed cross-sectionally. Participants were evaluated for the presence of FA by completing the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 questionnaire. Results 29.3% of patients screened positive for FA. Patients with FA had a greater BMI (33.41 ± 7.5 vs. 31.6 ± 5.9 kg/m 2 ; p  = 0.04). HbA1c was higher among individuals with FA (7.9 ± 4.4 vs. 7.6 ± 1.4%, p  = 0.008). The proportion of subjects with diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy and nephropathy was greater among patients with criteria for FA compared with patients without this condition (25% vs. 13.2%, 29.5% vs. 21.8% and 32% vs. 22.3%; p  = 0.03, p  = 0.05 and p  = 0.05, respectively). The percentage of patients with FA with significant depressive symptoms was also greater (36.4% vs. 18.5%; p  = 0.002). Conclusions The presence of FA among T2DM patients implied a worse glycaemic control. Microvascular complications and depressive symptoms were higher among these patients.