Public perceptions of food addiction: A comparison with alcohol and tobacco
Abstract
Background: As science has begun to provide support for food’s addictive properties, food addiction has gained increased attention from academics, health care professionals and mainstream media as a contributor to obesity. To date, no research has examined public perceptions of this condition, which may affect attitudes towards food addiction and obesity as well as beliefs about “addictive” food products. Methods: Using a survey methodology in a national sample of 570 adults, this study compared perceptions of food addiction to smoking and alcoholism, assessing beliefs about its etiology and whether it was perceived to be a disease or a result of individual choices. Results: Food addiction was perceived to be more of a disease than smoking and to be caused by individual choices to a greater extent than alcoholism. Conclusions: These results indicate that food addiction is vulnerable to stigmatization and may be perceived as a behavioural rather than a substance addiction.
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Food addiction is more vulnerable to stigmatization than alcohol and may be perceived as a behavioral rather than substance addiction.
“A survey study found that FA is more vulnerable to stigmatization than alcohol and may be perceived as a behavioral rather than substance addiction [19].”
From Separating the Signal from the Noise: How Psychiatric Diagnoses Can Help Discern Food Addiction from Dietary Restraint (2020) · cites this paper as [19]
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- Authors
- DePierre, J. A., Puhl, R. M., & Luedicke, J.
- Affiliations
- Yale University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Puhl, Rebecca M.
- ORCID
- Puhl, Rebecca M.
- Venue
- Journal of Substance Use
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2013-06-27
- Volume
- 19
- Issue
- 1-2
- Pages
- 1-6
- ISSN
- 1465-9891 (ISSN-L)
- 1475-9942
- OpenAlex
- W2004509051
- Cited by
- 47
- References
- 42
- Citations by year
- 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 5.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Substance Use (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Pharmacy › Obesity and Health Practices
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Keywords
- food addiction, public perception, obesity, alcoholism, smoking, stigmatization, etiology beliefs, substance addiction
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