A new international study involving University of Otago researchers links eating disorders to genetics, challenging the long-held view that they are primarily psychological illnesses.
By Penny Smith of RNZ
The study was led by researchers at King's College London and the University of North Carolina and was published in the United Kingdom Journal, Nature Mental Health.
It involved analysing DNA from tens of thousands of people worldwide with binge eating or anorexia nervosa, including more than 500 New Zealand participants.
Researchers said the study provided some of the clearest evidence yet that eating disorders were influenced by both psychiatric and metabolic biology.
The study suggested that while binge eating and anorexia nervosa both fell under the category of eating disorders, they differed deeply on a biological level.
Researchers said that genetic factors associated with higher body weight were associated with an increased likelihood of binge eating.
They said that, for anorexia nervosa, the relationship was in the opposite direction, with genetic factors associated with higher body weight appearing to reduce the likelihood of developing the disorder.
The study suggested that the genetic contribution to eating disorders could not simply be explained by genes influencing body weight or body mass index (BMI).
The University of Otago Associate Professor Jenny Jordan said that represented an important shift in how eating disorders were understood and potentially treated.
"These results not only help us understand both shared and distinct causes of these eating-related traits but may also help us develop more precise treatments targeting the specific biology of each condition," she said.
The next phase of the research would draw on approximately 4000 New Zealand participants.
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