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Considering Food Addiction Through a Cultural Lens

  • Food Addiction (A Meule, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

Research suggests that cultural factors influence eating behaviors; however, little is known about the relationship between food addiction and culture. This narrative review aimed to (i) review theoretically related work on the relationship between sociocultural demographic variables, food cravings, and eating disorders; (ii) review the available literature assessing cultural aspects of food addiction, specifically the rates of food addiction across the globe and notable differences in relevant sociodemographic variables: race, ethnicity, gender, and acculturation level; (iii) discuss the potential impact of culture on the current understanding of food addiction and future research directions emphasizing the inclusion of sociocultural variables.

Recent Findings

Preliminary data suggest that food addiction symptoms occur cross-culturally and that there may be significant differences between sociodemographic groups. Issues related to adequate lexicalization of concepts central to food addiction (e.g., craving, addiction) and global variations in eating culture and presentation of similar constructs (e.g., binge-eating) contribute to questions raised and identify avenues for further research.

Summary

Multidimensional cultural assessment is called for to characterize food addiction among diverse groups and improve our understanding of the etiology, maintenance, and sequelae of food addiction cross-culturally.

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Funding

This work was supported in part by the National Institute of Drug Abuse Training Grant [grant number T32 DA019426].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, 06516, USA

    Jessica L. Lawson

  2. Psychiatry Department, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06511, USA

    Jessica L. Lawson, Ashley A. Wiedemann, Meagan M. Carr & Stephanie G. Kerrigan

  3. VA Connecticut Healthcare System, Yale West Campus, 100 West Campus Drive, Orange, CT, 06477, USA

    Jessica L. Lawson

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Correspondence to Jessica L. Lawson.

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Lawson, J.L., Wiedemann, A.A., Carr, M.M. et al. Considering Food Addiction Through a Cultural Lens. Curr Addict Rep 7, 387–394 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-020-00315-x

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