Food craving is associated with multiple weight loss attempts

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Fabbricatore, Mariantonietta^{a; b} | Imperatori, Claudio^a | Contardi, Anna^{a; b} | Tamburello, Antonino^{a; b} | Innamorati, Marco^{a; b}

Affiliations: [a] Università Europea di Roma, Via degli Aldobrandeschi 190, 00163 Rome, Italy. e-mail: [email protected] | [b] Istituto Skinner, Rome/Naples, Italy

Abstract: The aim of the study was to investigate the association between food craving and lifetime number of weight-loss attempts, as a proxy index of difficulties in weight-loss maintenance. The participants were 100 adult out-patients with BMI ≥ 25 admitted at three medical centers for the treatment of obesity and excess weight in Rome (Italy). The patients were administered the State and Trait Food Cravings Questionnaire, trait version (FCQ-T). The patients with five or more weight loss episodes (compared to those with four treatments or less) differed in all the dimensions of the FCQ-T. Food craving is associated with more difficulties in weight-loss maintenance after weight-loss interventions.

Keywords: Obesity, Food craving, Relapses, Weight-loss attempts

DOI: 10.3233/s12349-012-0115-x

Journal: Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 79-83, 2013