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Nutrients
Volume 17
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10.3390/nu17162654
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Article

Association Between Childhood Obesity and the Risk of Food Addiction: A Matched Case-Control Study

by
Néstor Benítez Brito
1,2,*,
Berta Pinto Robayna
1,
Juan Ignacio Capafons Sosa
3,
Miguel Angel García Bello
3,
Eva María Herrera Rodríguez
4,
Jesús Enrique de las Heras Roger
1,
Mónica Ruiz Pons
4,
Irina María Delgado Brito
1,
Carlos Díaz Romero
1,2 and
Yolanda Ramallo Fariña
3,5
1
Department of Chemical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology, Nutrition and Bromatology Area, Pharmacy Faculty, Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
2
Nutrition, Health and Food Research Group (NAYS), Universidad de La Laguna, 38206 San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
3
Canary Foundation Institute of Health Research of the Canary Islands (FIISC), Evaluation Service of the Canary Islands Health Service (SESCS), 38109 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Spain
4
Department of Pediatrics, Hospital University Nuestra Señora de Candelaria, 38010 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Spain
5
Network for Research on Chronicity, Primary Care, and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), 38109 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Spain
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Nutrients 2025, 17(16), 2654; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17162654
Submission received: 3 July 2025 / Revised: 3 August 2025 / Accepted: 12 August 2025 / Published: 15 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence: Etiology, Prevention and Treatment)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Background: Food addiction is a new clinical entity that is beginning to be linked to obesity and eating disorders. The present study aims to investigate the association between the risk of food addiction in children and the presence of obesity. It also explores the relationship between food addiction, the development of eating disorders, and body image dissatisfaction. Material and methods: A matched case-control study was conducted in a Spanish pediatric population (cases have obesity, and controls have normal weight). The main outcome measures were evaluation of food addiction (S-YFAS-C), child feeding attitudes (ChEAT), and evaluation of body image (CDRS). Additionally, sociodemographic and anthropometric data were gathered. Results: A total of 62 children were evaluated (31 cases with age 11 ± 0.7 years and BMI Z-score 2.89 ± 1.33; 31 controls with age 10.7 ± 0.8 years and BMI Z-score −0.05 ± 0.52). For all items on the S-YFAS-C scale, significant differences were observed between the two groups (∧ = 0.252, p = 0.002). Food addiction was diagnosed in 32.3% of cases (2.06 ± 1.7 symptoms) and 22.6% of controls (1.61 ± 1.6 symptoms), although no statistically significant differences were observed between groups. A statistically significant correlation exists between all the scores of the scales studied in the children. Conclusions: Children with obesity have a higher number of food addiction symptoms compared to those with normal weight. In general, as food addiction scores increase, higher scores are observed for the risk of developing eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction.
Keywords: feeding and eating disorders; food addiction; mental disorders; obesity; pediatric obesity feeding and eating disorders; food addiction; mental disorders; obesity; pediatric obesity

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MDPI and ACS Style

Brito, N.B.; Robayna, B.P.; Sosa, J.I.C.; Bello, M.A.G.; Rodríguez, E.M.H.; de las Heras Roger, J.E.; Pons, M.R.; Brito, I.M.D.; Romero, C.D.; Fariña, Y.R. Association Between Childhood Obesity and the Risk of Food Addiction: A Matched Case-Control Study. Nutrients 2025, 17, 2654. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17162654

AMA Style

Brito NB, Robayna BP, Sosa JIC, Bello MAG, Rodríguez EMH, de las Heras Roger JE, Pons MR, Brito IMD, Romero CD, Fariña YR. Association Between Childhood Obesity and the Risk of Food Addiction: A Matched Case-Control Study. Nutrients. 2025; 17(16):2654. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17162654

Chicago/Turabian Style

Brito, Néstor Benítez, Berta Pinto Robayna, Juan Ignacio Capafons Sosa, Miguel Angel García Bello, Eva María Herrera Rodríguez, Jesús Enrique de las Heras Roger, Mónica Ruiz Pons, Irina María Delgado Brito, Carlos Díaz Romero, and Yolanda Ramallo Fariña. 2025. "Association Between Childhood Obesity and the Risk of Food Addiction: A Matched Case-Control Study" Nutrients 17, no. 16: 2654. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17162654

APA Style

Brito, N. B., Robayna, B. P., Sosa, J. I. C., Bello, M. A. G., Rodríguez, E. M. H., de las Heras Roger, J. E., Pons, M. R., Brito, I. M. D., Romero, C. D., & Fariña, Y. R. (2025). Association Between Childhood Obesity and the Risk of Food Addiction: A Matched Case-Control Study. Nutrients, 17(16), 2654. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17162654

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