Abstract

In this mini-review the contribution of adverse child effects (ACEs) to obesity and food addiction (FA) is discussed. The concept of FA, its underlying mechanisms and the varying prevalences of FA are reviewd. Its relationship to eating disorders as binge eating, bulimia and substance use disorder is seen from the viewpoint of emotional abuse(EA), emotional neglect(EN) and intimate partner violence (IPV) in childhood. Finally, the therapeutic implications of FA and eating disorders are considered, with an emphasis of various forms of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and evolving mHealth CBT.

Abbreviations: ACEs: Adverse Child Effects; FA: Food Addiction; EA: Emotional Abuse; EN: Emotional Neglect; IPV: Intimate Partner Violence; CBT: Cognitive Behavior Therapy; ACEs: Adverse Childhood Experiences; PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder; YFAS: Yale Food Addiction Scale; BMI: Body Mass Index; PR: Prevalence Ratio; SUD: Substance Use Disorder; BED: Binge Eating Disorder; BN: Bulimia Nervosa; IPV : Intimate Partner Violence; CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; BWLT: Behaviour weight loss treatment; BWL: Behavioral Weight Loss; ACT: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy