Adherence
A positive diagnosis of 'food addiction' using the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) is strongly associated with higher BMI and binge eating behavior, but this association does not validate 'food addiction' as a distinct neurobiological disease or causal driver of obesity.
If you score high on the YFAS, it likely indicates you struggle with binge eating and psychological distress, not necessarily that you have a unique 'food addiction' disease. Focus on managing binge eating behaviors and psychological factors rather than treating it as a distinct biological addiction, as the evidence for a unique disease phenotype is weak.
A positive YFAS diagnosis is usually positively associated with BMI and strongly linked with the presence of binge eating... much of the literature makes the supposition that food addiction is an accepted neurobiological disease, consistent with substance use disorders; an interpretation based on very limited data.
Why this rating
Based on a systematic review of 40 experimental human studies, providing a broad evidence base, though the studies are largely cross-sectional.
Source
A Systematic Review of the Application And Correlates of YFAS-Diagnosed ‘Food Addiction' in Humans: Are Eating-Related ‘Addictions' a Cause for Concern or Empty Concepts?
Cecilia Grace Long et al. · Obesity Facts · 2015
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →