Relationship Between Biological Rhythm and Food Addiction in Obesity

Abstract

Objective: Obesity is a common, multifactorial, and epigenetic disease. Emotional eating and food addiction are common eating behaviors in obese people. Biological rhythm helps the body adapt to the light-dark cycle and relates to eating behavior, including obesity. Thus, the study aims to reveal whether food addiction, an important factor in obesity, is affected by biological rhythm. Methods: A total of 130 participants (obese=76, nonobese=54) participated in the study. All participant's anthropometrics were recorded. Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventories (BDI and BAI) were obtained. Afterward, the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) form was filled out to evaluate food addiction. Finally, they were asked to fill in the Biological Rhythms Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN) form to assess biological rhythm. Results: Obese and nonobese subjects had a significant positive correlation with body mass index (BMI), fat mass, fat-free mass, body fat percentage, and YFAS between weight (p<0.001). BRIAN chronotype score and BMI were negatively correlated between obese subjects (p<0.05) but not in nonobese subjects. BDI and BAI were significantly positively correlated (p<0.05, p<0.001) with BRIAN subscales except for chronotype in obese patients. Thus, higher scores in BRIAN imply greater disturbances in biological rhythms. YFAS results were positively correlated with weight, BDI, BAI, and BRIAN subtype parameters in the obese group. In the nonobese group, there was a positive correlation between YFAS and BDI and no correlation between the YFAS and BRIAN subtype parameters. Conclusion: As a result, if the person is both obese and has been diagnosed with food addiction, obesity may have emerged as a continuation of depression, anxiety, and biological rhythm disruptions.