Chronic stress and food addiction, implications for food intake in Algerian adults

This study aims to assess links among chronic stress, food addiction, eating behavior and body weight in adult Algerian population. A total of 210 adult participants were included in the study. Perceived Stress Scale PSS-10 was used to assess chronic stress. Subjects were divided into groups with low, moderate and high levels of stress. The Yale Food Addiction Scale YAFS was used to assess food addiction. To evaluate daily food intake and eating behavior, repeated 24-hour recall and liking questionnaires were employed. Weight, height and waist circumference were measured. In total, 33.8%, 40.7% and 25.2% of subjects were in low, moderate and high-stress groups, respectively. Prevalence of food addiction within high, moderate and low stress groups were respectively 100%, 18.6% and 0%. Intake of energy and score preferences for sweet-fat or salty-fat foods were higher in the high-stress group. Addictive-like foods contributed 10% of total energy and 22% of simple sugars to daily dietary intake. Positive association between stress score and BMI was observed. These findings contribute to our understanding of the factors influencing caloric density food choice, weight gain and the risk of obesity among people in Algeria.