The association of serum leptin levels with food addiction is moderated by weight status in adolescent psychiatric inpatients

• Leptin is essential for the control of energy homeostasis and eating behaviour. We investigated potential associations between serum leptin levels and food addiction in adolescent psychiatric inpatients (n = 228). The most frequent psychiatric diagnoses were mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and substance use disorders. More than three quarters of the study group suffered from more than one psychiatric disorder. Food addiction was assessed with the Yale Food Addiction Scale. Leptin was determined in serum. Analyses were conducted for the whole body weight range and for distinct weight categories to evaluate a potential impact of known nonlinearity between leptin levels and satiety due to leptin resistance in obese. A weak negative association between food addiction and leptin in normal weight patients (ss = -0.11, p = .022) was detected. In contrast, food addiction was associated with a significantly higher serum leptin (ss = 0.16. p = .038) in overweight patients. Food addiction in normal weight patients might be associated with restrained eating, previously shown to involve reduced leptin levels. The small positive association of food addiction with higher serum leptin in overweight patients might reflect leptin resistance and overeating.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

addictive behaviour

adolescent

body weight

food addiction

leptin

binge-eating disorder

body-mass index

anorexia-nervosa

preliminary

validation

bulimia-nervosa

short-term

scale

behavior

obesity

humans

Psychology

mpster p

1995

medicine and science in sports and exercise

v27

p1692

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)