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How much does the Addiction-Like Eating Behavior Scale add to the debate regarding food versus eating addictions?

International Journal of Obesity volume 42, page 946 (2018)Cite this article

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Recently in the International Journal of Obesity, Ruddock et al.1 validated the Addiction-Like Eating Behavior Scale (AEBS), which measures eating as a behavioral addiction. This contrasts the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), which adapts the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual substance-use disorder (SUD) criteria2 to operationalize a food addiction to high-fat/sugar foods.3, 4 These differing perspectives reflect a debate in the field regarding whether addictive-like eating is more appropriately conceptualized as a behavioral eating addiction or a substance-based food addiction.5, 6 We agree with Ruddock et al.1 that an addiction framework may have important implications for eating-related problems and obesity. However, we believe that the AEBS does not parallel theoretical perspectives of behavioral addictions and cannot differentiate between eating versus food addiction.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    E M Schulte & A N Gearhardt

  2. Departments of Psychiatry, Child Study and Neuroscience and the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA

    M N Potenza

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  1. E M Schulte
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  2. M N Potenza
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  3. A N Gearhardt
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Correspondence to E M Schulte.

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Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest. Dr Potenza has: consulted for and advised Rivermend Health, Opiant/Lakelight Therapeutics and Jazz Pharmaceuticals; received research support (to Yale) from the Mohegan Sun Casino and the National Center for Responsible Gaming; and consulted for legal and gambling entities on issues related to impulse-control disorders and addictions.

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Schulte, E., Potenza, M. & Gearhardt, A. How much does the Addiction-Like Eating Behavior Scale add to the debate regarding food versus eating addictions?. Int J Obes 42, 946 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.265

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