732-P: Relationships among Food Addiction and Glycemic Control in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Healthy Controls

Introduction/Objective: Unhealthy food behaviors (such as food addiction [FA]) are associated with poor glycemic control and health outcomes in type 2 diabetes (T2DM). However, little is known about the associations of FA with glycemic status in T2DM. This study examined the relationships between FA and glycemic outcome (A1c) in persons with T2DM compared to healthy controls.

Methods: Sixty-four participants (32 T2DM, 32 healthy controls) between the ages 40-65 years completed the Yale Food Addiction Scale 2.0 (YFAS) and A1c was measured by finger stick blood test. Spearman’s rho correlation analyses of YFAS (FA diagnoses, total score, and symptomatology) and A1c variables were conducted.

Results: No group differences were found in the prevalence of FA diagnosis, YFAS 2.0 total scores between the groups. There were positive correlations/higher A1c (poorer glycemic control) between two FA symptomatologies (higher food tolerance; food use in physically hazardous situations) (r= 0.254, r= 0.417, P <0.05).

Conclusion: In this study, persons with food tolerance and/or consumed foods during hazardous situations had poorer glycemic outcomes. Screening people with T2DM with a subset of questions from YFAS 2.0 that are linked to A1c could identify FA behaviors that may impact glycemic management and help to identify potential interventions which could optimize T2DM care and diet self-management and eventually improve outcomes in individuals with T2DM.