(1) Background: Research suggests that certain foods may have addictive effects; however, no reviews have systematically appraised studies in this area. The aims of this review were to determine the nutrients, foods and dietary patterns associated with addictive eating. (2) Methods: Published studies up to November 2020 were identified through searches of 6 electronic databases. Eligible studies included those in in children and adults that reported dietary intakes of individuals with ‘food addiction’. (3) Results: Fifteen studies (n = 12 in adults and n = 3 in children/adolescents with Yale Food Addiction Scale defined ‘food addiction’) were included. Foods commonly associated with addictive eating were those high in a combination of fat and refined carbohydrates. Generally, intakes of energy, carbohydrates and fats were significantly higher in individuals with addictive eating compared to those without. (4) Conclusions: Due to the heterogeneity in study methodologies and outcomes across included studies, it is difficult to conclude if any specific foods, nutrients or dietary patterns facilitate an addictive process. Further research is needed to elucidate potential associations. However, present addictive eating treatment approaches could incorporate individualised dietary advice targeting foods high in fat and refined carbohydrates.

Introduction: Approximately 15%–20% of the adult population self-report symptoms of addictive eating. There are currently limited options for management. Motivational interviewing-based interventions, containing personalised coping skills training, have been found to be effective for behaviour change in addictive disorders (eg, alcohol). This project builds upon foundations of an addictive eating feasibility study previously conducted and co-design process involving consumers. The primary aim of this study is to examine the efficacy of a telehealth intervention targeting addictive eating symptoms in Australian adults compared with passive intervention and control groups. Methods and analysis: This three-arm randomised controlled trial will recruit participants 18–85 years, endorsing ≥3 symptoms on the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS) 2.0, with body mass index >18.5 kg/m². Addictive eating symptoms are assessed at baseline (pre-intervention), 3 months (post-intervention) and 6 months. Other outcomes include dietary intake and quality, depression, anxiety, stress, quality of life, physical activity and sleep hygiene. Using a multicomponent clinician-led approach, the active intervention consists of five telehealth sessions (15–45 min each) delivered by a dietitian over 3 months. The intervention uses personalised feedback, skill-building exercises, reflective activities and goal setting. Participants are provided with a workbook and website access. The passive intervention group receives the intervention via a self-guided approach with access to the workbook and website (no telehealth). The control group receives personalised written dietary feedback at baseline and participants advised to follow their usual dietary pattern for 6 months. The control group will be offered the passive intervention after 6 months. The primary endpoint is YFAS symptom scores at 3 months. A cost–consequence analysis will determine intervention costs alongside mean change outcomes. Ethics and dissemination: Human Research Ethics Committee of University of Newcastle, Australia provided approval (H-2021-0100). Findings will be disseminated via publication in peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, community presentations and student theses. Trial registration number: Australia New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12621001079831).

Introduction Codesign is a meaningful end-user engagement in research design. The integrated knowledge translation (IKT) framework involves adopting a collaborative research approach to produce and apply knowledge to address real-world needs, resulting in useful and useable recommendations that will more likely be applied in policy and practice. In the field of food addiction (FA), there are limited treatment options that have been reported to show improvements in FA symptoms. Objectives The primary aim of this paper is to describe the step-by-step codesign and refinement of a complex intervention delivered via telehealth for adults with FA using an IKT approach. The secondary aim is to describe our intervention in detail according to the TIDieR checklist. Design This study applies the IKT process and describes the codesign and refinement of an intervention through a series of online meetings, workshops and interviews. Participants This study included researchers, clinicians, consumers and health professionals. Primary outcome measure The primary outcome was a refined intervention for use in adults with symptoms of FA for a research trial. Results A total of six female health professionals and five consumers (n=4 female) with lived overeating experience participated in two interviews lasting 60 min each. This process resulted in the identification of eight barriers and three facilitators to providing and receiving treatment for FA, eight components needed or missing from current treatments, telehealth as a feasible delivery platform, and refinement of key elements to ensure the intervention met the needs of both health professionals and possible patients. Conclusion Using an IKT approach allowed for a range of viewpoints and enabled multiple professions and disciplines to engage in a semiformalised way to bring expertise to formulate a possible intervention for FA. Mapping the intervention plan to the TIDieR checklist for complex interventions, allowed for detailed description of the intervention and the identification of a number of areas that needed to be refined before development of the finalised intervention protocol.

Background: Few interventions for food addiction (FA) report on dietary intake variables. The present study comprised a three‐arm randomised controlled trial in adults with symptoms of FA. The aim was to evaluate dietary intake, sleep and physical activity resulting from a dietitian‐led telehealth intervention at 3 months.Methods: Adults with ≥3 symptoms of FA and a body mass index > 18.5 kg/m² were recruited. Dietary intake including energy, nutrients and diet quality were assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire in addition to sleep quality and physical activity (total min) and compared between groups and over time. Personalised dietary goals set by participants were examined to determine whether improvements in percent energy from core and non‐core foods were reported.Results: The active intervention group was superior compared to the passive intervention and control groups for improvements in percent energy from core (6.4%/day [95% confidence interval (CI) −0.0 to 12.9], p = 0.049), non‐core foods (−6.4%/day [95% CI −12.9 to 0.0], p = 0.049), sweetened drinks (−1.7%/day [95% CI −2.9 to −0.4], p = 0.013), takeaway foods (−2.3%/day [95% CI −4.5 to −0.1], p = 0.045) and sodium (−478 mg/day [95% CI −765 to −191 mg], p = 0.001).Conclusions: A dietitian‐led telehealth intervention for Australian adults with FA found significant improvements in dietary intake variables. Setting personalised goals around nutrition and eating behaviours was beneficial for lifestyle change.

Adolescence is considered an important period of neurodevelopment. It is a time for the emergence of psychosocial vulnerabilities, including symptoms of depression, eating disorders, and increased engagement in unhealthy eating behaviours. Food addiction (FA) in adolescents is an area of study where there has been substantial growth. However, to date, limited studies have considered what demographic characteristics of adolescents may predispose them to endorse greater symptoms of FA. Studies have found a variety of factors that often cluster with and may influence an adolescent’s eating behaviour such as sleep, level of self-control, and parenting practices, as well as bullying. Therefore, this study investigated a range of socio-demographic, trait, mental health, and lifestyle-related profiles (including self-control, parenting, bullying, and sleep) as proximal factors associated with symptoms of FA, as assessed via the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (YFAS-C) in a large sample of Australian adolescents. Following data cleaning, the final analysed sample included 6587 students (age 12.9 years ± 0.39; range 10.9–14.9 years), with 50.05% identifying as male (n = 3297), 48.5% as female (n = 3195), 1.02% prefer not to say (n = 67), and 0.43% as non-binary (n = 28). Self-control was found to be the most significant predictor of total FA symptom score, followed by female gender, sleep quality, and being a victim of bullying. Universal prevention programs should therefore aim to address these factors to help reduce the prevalence or severity of FA symptoms within early adolescent populations.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of mortality and morbidity. The number of young adults with at least one CVD risk factor has increased over the past two decades. Evidence suggests that addictive eating behaviours cluster with other CVD risk behaviours, including poor diet, lack of physical activity and poor sleep quality. The primary aim of this pilot study is to determine the feasibility (adherence to the programme), acceptability and engagement of an innovative intervention comprising of five telehealth sessions ranging from 20 to 45 min with an Accredited Practising Dietitian over 8 weeks aimed at improving CVD risk factors in young Australian adults aged 18–35 years with addictive eating behaviours. Methods: A total of 53 young adults with ≥ 3 symptoms of addictive eating assessed via the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 and a body mass index > 18.5 kg/m ² were recruited. Adherence to the programme was assessed through the number of participants completing the telehealth sessions. Acceptability (including overall satisfaction, appropriateness and effectiveness of recruitment materials) was assessed via semi‐structured phone interviews with participants upon study completion. Engagement with the programme website was assessed with Wix Analytics and comprised of website access and webpage dwell time. Changes in dietary intake, food addiction symptoms, physical activity, sleep quality, mental health (depression, anxiety and stress), and CVD blood biomarkers were also assessed and compared between groups and over time. Results: Nine of the 27 participants randomised to the intervention group did not adhere to the programme by completing all five telehealth sessions. Twenty‐one (56.8%) participants completed the semi‐structured phone interview, with all reporting an overall ‘positive’ experience with the programme. Based on the total number of participants provided with website access in the intervention ( n = 21) and control ( n = 16) groups, the percentage who logged in to the website at least once was 95.2% and 18.8% respectively. The intervention group was superior compared to the control group for improvements in percent from fat (−4.87%/day [95% CI: −8.04, −1.70], p = 0.005), saturated fat (−1.77%/day [95% CI: −3.33, −0.20], p = 0.03) and non‐core foods (−9.20%/day [95% CI: −17.53, −0.87], p = 0.03) from baseline to 8 weeks. While other outcomes (i.e., changes in food addiction symptoms, physical activity, sleep, mental health, stress and CVD biomarkers – triglycerides) improved significantly over time, there were no between‐group differences. Conclusions: A CVD intervention targeting addictive eating behaviours successfully recruited young adults, a recognised population group difficult to reach. The telehealth programme was found to be feasible and demonstrated improvements in dietary outcomes.