A claim you hear on longevity podcasts
The claim checked: About 14% of adults and 14% of children are addicted to food Hear it at 10:05
The adult studies scatter widely. Two found a share near 14%, including 15.6% of Iranian adults. Two found far less: 5.4% in a Canadian sample and 2.78% in a household sample in Rio de Janeiro. A study in Israel found 12%. A review of samples from the general public found anything from 0% to 25.7%. The scale counts symptoms of addictive eating. It does not test whether the addiction is biological.
Computed from 7 studies that test this point, each judged by two readers, in full. Sources land on both sides. 10 more studies are waiting for a full read and do not count yet.
“And based on global surveys, fourteen percent of adults and fourteen percent of children are biologically addicted to food.”
On tape: global surveys find 14% of children are addicted to food. The pooled estimate was 15% across all samples and 12% in community samples, so 14% sits between the two. The scale measures addictive-like eating by symptoms; the study does not test whether the addiction is biological. Prevalence of food addiction in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev, 2021. Systematic review and meta-analysis of studies using the Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children, 22 studies with a total of 6,996 children and adolescents.
What it found
“The meta‐analysis estimated an overall FA prevalence at 15% (95% CI: 11–19%) among children and adolescents, with an I 2 of 95.64%.”
How the authors extend it
“Moreover, the prevalence in the community samples was 12% (95% CI: 8–17%) and 19% (95% CI: 14–26%) in the overweight/obese samples (Figure 6 ).”
Not stated in the text we read. Two readers agreed on the label, and the paper was read in full.
other primary study · 2025
“There were n = 182 (8.57%) persons with FA, n = 148 (6.97%) with BE, and n = 162 (7.63%) with both disorders.”
Psychological differences in food addiction and binge eating in a general Polish population. Sci Rep
Who: Adults aged 18-55 living in Poland, recruited online (university newsletter, social media, newspaper ads, pollster panel) as a screening sample for a PTSD and food addiction project
PMID 39890850
other primary study · 2025
“The prevalence of FA identified in the current study is 15.6%, which is exactly identical as Schulte and her colleagues’ finding during COVID-19 in USA 64 and is also similar to the finding in Poland during COVID-19 (14.1%) 65 and the latest meta-analysis data in non-clinical samples (14% around the world 33 and 15% in in Latin America 66 ).”
Prevalence of food addiction and sex-specific correlates in a large sample of Iranian adults. Sci Rep
Who: Iranian adults recruited via an online questionnaire shared on social media (82.1% female), measured with the modified Persian YFAS 2.0
PMID 41290995
systematic review · 2014 · landmark
“Hence, the prevalence of YFAS FA diagnosis and the average symptom scores are likely higher compared to a nationally representative general population sample due to the characteristics of included participants.”
The prevalence of food addiction as assessed by the Yale Food Addiction Scale: a systematic review. Nutrients
Who: 25 studies (28 articles) using the YFAS, mostly cross-sectional samples of predominantly female, overweight/obese adults, many recruited from clinical or weight-loss settings
PMID 25338274
systematic review · 2019
“In nonclinical samples, the reported prevalence of FA, according to the criteria defined in Table 4 , ranged from 0% to 25.7%.”
Systematic Review of Food Addiction as Measured with the Yale Food Addiction Scale: Implications for the Food Addiction Construct. Curr Neuropharmacol
Who: 60 studies (2014-2017) of adults over 18 using the YFAS or YFAS 2.0; 33 nonclinical and 27 clinical samples, predominantly female and overweight
PMID 30406740
other primary study · 2025
“The prevalence of FA in Israel is 12%, higher than in Asia and Europe.”
Assessment of food addiction and its contribution to eating disorders and body mass index in the general population. J Eat Disord
Who: 364 Israeli adults aged 20-65 from a non-clinical, non-probability online sample (55% women, mostly young adults)
PMID 40770354
other primary study · 2013
“The prevalence of ‘food addiction’ according to the YFAS criteria was 5.4% in the entire population (in women and men it was 6.7% and 3.0%, respectively) ( Table 2 ).”
Food addiction: its prevalence and significant association with obesity in the general population. PLoS One
Who: 652 healthy adults aged over 19 (415 female, 237 male) from the general population of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
PMID 24023964
other primary study · 2025
“Using the mYFAS2.0 instrument, we found a prevalence of FA of 2.78% among people living in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.”
Food addiction and its associations with mental and physical health comorbidities and with quality of life in the general population. J Eat Disord
Who: Representative household probability sample of adults aged 18-60 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, interviewed face to face 2019-2020
PMID 41013620
One pooled analysis of 22 studies found 15% of children and teens, and 12% in community samples. A pooled analysis adds up many smaller studies. Single studies range widely: 6.91% of Chinese teens, 17.3% of Iranian schoolchildren, and more than a third of teens at two Egyptian youth centers.
Computed from 6 studies that test this point, each judged by two readers, in full. 10 more studies are waiting for a full read and do not count yet.
pooled analysis · 2021 · cited on tape
“The meta‐analysis estimated an overall FA prevalence at 15% (95% CI: 11–19%) among children and adolescents, with an I 2 of 95.64%.”
Prevalence of food addiction in children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obes Rev
Who: children and adolescents under 21 in 22 cross-sectional studies using the YFAS-C (community and overweight/obese samples)
PMID 33403795
other primary study · 2018
“A total of 36 students (17.3%; 17.8.4% of males, 16.4% of females) met the food addiction diagnostic criteria.”
Prevalence of food addiction among Iranian children and adolescents: Associations with sociodemographic and anthropometric indices. Med J Islam Repub Iran
Who: 222 elementary school students aged 7-13 in Ahvaz, Iran, sampled from 8 randomly selected schools (65.9% male)
PMID 30159259
other primary study · 2023
“The clinically significant diagnosis for worsening or anxiety was not reflected among the student body.”
Preliminary assessment of the degree of food addiction through the Spanish Yale Food Addiction Scale for Children (S-YFAS-C) in a pilot pediatric population. J Eat Disord
Who: Convenience sample of children aged 9-12 (4th to 6th year of primary school) at one private school in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain; 82.2% normal weight
PMID 37170368
systematic review · 2014 · landmark
“In the single study of children and adolescents <18 years the prevalence of FA was 7.2% [ 48 ].”
The prevalence of food addiction as assessed by the Yale Food Addiction Scale: a systematic review. Nutrients
Who: 25 YFAS studies; the only child study was 75 US children aged 4-16 (mean 8.32) from a family eating habits study, assessed with the YFAS-C
PMID 25338274
other primary study · 2018
“Based on the Chinese version of YFAS, the present study revealed that the prevalence of food addiction in a non-clinical Chinese adolescent sample was 6.91%, which is comparable to the reported prevalence of 9.2% in Chinese female adolescents aged 14–19 years [ 10 ].”
Psychosocial Correlates of Food Addiction and Its Association with Quality of Life in a Non-Clinical Adolescent Sample. Nutrients
Who: Non-clinical convenience sample of Chinese middle-school adolescents aged 13-17 (51.9% female)
PMID 29958382
other primary study · 2023
“The study revealed that more than a third of adolescents met the criteria for food addiction according to the Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS).”
Food Knowledge, Habits, Practices, and Addiction Among Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Investigation. Cureus
Who: Adolescents aged 10-19 (mean 13.8) attending two youth centers in Damanhur City, Egypt
PMID 38022353
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