Otago research finds eating disorders shaped by metabolic and psychiatric biology
A large-scale international study involving the University of Otago has identified distinct genetic signatures for binge eating and anorexia nervosa. The findings suggest that these disorders are significantly influenced by both psychiatric and metabolic biology rather than being purely psychological.
Why it matters
This research shifts the medical understanding of eating disorders, potentially leading to more effective, biologically-targeted treatments.
An international study involving University of Otago research and hundreds of New Zealand participants has found eating disorders are not primarily psychological illnesses.
Led by King’s College London and University of North Carolina researchers, the study is the first to directly compare the genetics linked to binge eating and anorexia nervosa at a large scale.
It has identified distinct genetic signatures for binge eating and anorexia nervosa and found eating disorders are influenced by psychiatric and metabolic biology.
The research also included genetic data from more than 500 New Zealand participants, contributed by a University of Otago Faculty of Medicine Christchurch research team.
It shows that while binge eating and anorexia nervosa share some genetic influences – particularly those associated with other psychiatric conditions – they also differ.
Researchers identified six regions of the genome (parts of DNA) associated with binge-eating behaviour.
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