PTSD Linked to Food Addiction

Women who have ever experienced symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are more than twice as likely to have a food addiction than those with no such history, new research shows.

The earlier the onset of PTSD, the greater the propensity to be addicted to food, investigators report.

“Our findings tell us that PTSD symptoms may be accompanied by problematic eating behaviors that are distressing,” lead author Susan Mason, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of epidemiology and community health, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, told Medscape Medical News.

“And if clinicians providing mental health care are aware that PTSD is sometimes accompanied by problematic eating behaviors, then they may be able to offer better and more tailored care to their patients.”