(OR21-03-24) A Whole Food Dietary Fiber-Focused Behavioral Intervention Decreases Food Addiction in Adults With Obesity

Objectives: Whole food dietary fiber may improve health and cognition, though is rarely a sole behavioral focus. The objective of this study was to examine changes in food addiction and eating behavior in adults with obesity after a behavioral intervention focused exclusively on dietary fiber (Fiber for Improvement of Behavior, Eating, & Risk (FIBER)).

Methods: Adults with obesity (body mass index ≥30 kg/m²) were randomized in a factorial trial: FIBER, standard weight loss education (“WT LOSS”) (wait list control), or FIBER followed by WT LOSS (“FIBER+WT LOSS”). FIBER was 3 months, with every-other-week group education on dietary fiber and one-on-one phone motivational interviewing on off-weeks to target ambivalence and identify strategies to increase intake. All were encouraged to eat 30-35 g of dietary fiber/day from fruits, vegetables, protein foods, and whole grains; digestive aides, pre/probiotics, and fiber supplements were prohibited. At baseline and post-FIBER (month 3), all completed the Modified Yale Food Addiction Scale Version 2.0 (YFAS2) to assess food addiction and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (revised 18-item, version 2 (TFEQR18V2)) to assess uncontrolled eating, cognitive restraint, and emotional eating. Linear regression was used to examine effects of FIBER on YFAS2 and TFEQR18V2 scores, controlling for age and sex. Logistic regression was used to examine effects of age, sex, and FIBER on the likelihood of meeting food addiction criteria at month 3.

Results: The cohort (n=66) was 78.8% women, mean age=37.6 years. FIBER was a significant predictor of a decrease in YFAS2 symptoms (β=-0.29, P=0.03). The logistic regression model explained 18.4% of the variance in meeting food addiction criteria at month 3 (P=0.05); those who received FIBER were 20.4% less likely to meet food addiction criteria. FIBER was predictive of decreases in uncontrolled eating (β=-0.32, P=0.02), but not cognitive restraint (β=0.05, P=0.7) or emotional eating (β=-0.22, P=0.12).

Conclusions: Dietary fiber interventions may improve food addiction and certain types of eating behavior in adults with obesity.

Funding Sources: Funding was provided by the Oklahoma Center for Advancement of Science & Technology (OCAST) and start-up funds from the Oklahoma State University Vice President for Research.