This observational study investigated the association between food addiction (FA) and emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents with obesity.

This study enrolled 224 children and adolescents with body mass index (BMI) above the 85th percentile (mean age: 11.37). Along with anthropometric measurements, various psychosocial characteristics such as the Youth Self Report (YSR), self-esteem scale, and family function were investigated through questionnaires. Using the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C), all participants were divided into the FA and non-FA groups.

The FA group had a higher BMI z-score, lower self-esteem scale score, and lower family function than the non-FA group. The FA group showed significantly higher YSR subscale T-scores, including total problems, internalization, and externalization, and a higher proportion of participants in the borderline and clinical group on the YSR total problems and problem behavior syndrome scales. Linear regression analysis showed that the YFAS-C symptom count score was independently associated with higher total YSR problems (β=0.036, 95 % CI [0.014, 0.059]) and externalizing t-scores (β=0.042, 95 % CI [0.020, 0.064]), and tended to be associated with internalizing t-scores (β=0.021, 95 % CI [-0.0004, 0.042]).

FA was significantly associated with emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents with obesity. Therefore, understanding FA in children and adolescents is important for the prevention and treatment of obesity and psychosocial difficulties.