For generations, eating disorders have been placed almost entirely within the domain of the mind — understood as illnesses of thought, culture, and emotional suffering. A landmark international study, with meaningful contributions from University of Otago researchers and more than 500 New Zealanders, now reveals that binge eating and anorexia nervosa carry distinct genetic signatures, shaped by the interplay of metabolic and psychiatric biology in ways that differ profoundly from one another. The findings do not diminish the psychological dimension of these conditions, but rather expand the fr
Otago researchers identify distinct genetic signatures for binge eating and anorexia
Eating disorders affect people across all body sizes and carry serious physical and psychological consequences; improved understanding may enable better prevention and treatment.
They clearly differ deeply on a biological level
Mark
So the study found different genes for binge eating and anorexia. Does that mean they're completely different illnesses?
Mimi
Not completely different, but not the same either. They share some genetic influences—both connect to depression and anxiety—but the patterns diverge. Binge eating links more to ADHD, anorexia more to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It's like they're cousins, not twins.
Mark
And the body weight genes work opposite ways?
Mimi
Exactly. Genes that increase body weight risk push someone toward binge eating, but seem to protect against anorexia. That alone tells you these aren't just about appetite or willpower. The biology is genuinely different.
Mark
Why does this matter for treatment?
Mimi
Because right now, someone with binge eating and someone with anorexia might get the same therapy, even though their brains and bodies are working in opposite directions. If you understand the specific biology, you can target it more precisely.
Mark
Is this saying eating disorders aren't psychological?
Mimi
No. It's saying they're not *only* psychological. The mind and metabolism are talking to each other. You can't treat one without understanding the other.
Mark
What happens next?
Mimi
They're bringing in 4,000 more New Zealand participants. The bigger the dataset, the clearer the picture becomes. That's how you move from understanding to actually changing how people are treated.
Der Puls
- Two conditions long grouped together under the same clinical umbrella have been shown, at the genomic level, to be pulling in fundamentally different biological directions — including the counterintuitive finding that genes linked to higher body weight raise the risk of binge eating while appearing to protect against anorexia nervosa.
- The research identifies six genomic regions tied to binge eating and eight to anorexia nervosa, with binge eating showing stronger genetic links to ADHD and anorexia to obsessive-compulsive disorder — distinctions that matter enormously for how treatment is designed and delivered.
- People with eating disorders across all body sizes have long been offered similar therapeutic approaches despite experiencing conditions with divergent underlying biology, a mismatch this research makes impossible to ignore.
- Otago researchers are now preparing to expand New Zealand's contribution from 500 to approximately 4,000 participants through the Eating Disorder Genetics Initiative, deepening Aotearoa's role in building a global genetic picture of these illnesses.
- The emerging concept of eating disorders as 'metabo-psychiatric' conditions — shaped by both metabolic and psychiatric genetic factors — opens the door to precision medicine approaches that have already transformed oncology and cardiology.
For generations, eating disorders have been placed almost entirely within the domain of the mind — understood as illnesses of thought, culture, and emotional suffering. A landmark international study, with meaningful contributions from University of Otago researchers and more than 500 New Zealanders, now reveals that binge eating and anorexia nervosa carry distinct genetic signatures, shaped by the interplay of metabolic and psychiatric biology in ways that differ profoundly from one another. The findings do not diminish the psychological dimension of these conditions, but rather expand the frame — suggesting that to treat the mind without understanding the body is to work with only half the map.
For decades, eating disorders have been understood as conditions of the mind — rooted in psychology, culture, and distorted thinking. A landmark international study, published in Nature Mental Health and involving University of Otago researchers alongside more than 500 New Zealand participants, is now challenging that framework in significant ways.
The study mapped the genetic architecture of binge eating and anorexia nervosa side by side at scale for the first time, revealing that these two conditions are far more biologically distinct than their shared category implies. Researchers identified six genomic regions associated with binge eating — including one near the FTO gene, known for its influence on body weight — and eight separate regions linked to anorexia nervosa. Binge eating showed stronger genetic ties to ADHD; anorexia nervosa to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Both shared genetic influences with depression and anxiety, but in patterns that diverge in clinically meaningful ways.
Perhaps most striking: genetic factors associated with higher body weight increased the risk of binge eating but appeared to protect against anorexia nervosa — an inversion that makes clear these disorders cannot be reduced to a single biological story. Associate Professor Jenny Jordan of Otago's Department of Psychological Medicine put it plainly: though both fall under the eating disorder category, they differ deeply at a biological level. Professor Martin Kennedy emphasised that analysing DNA from tens of thousands of people worldwide is now revealing clear genetic signatures for each condition, creating new opportunities for treatment and prevention.
The human stakes are real. People struggling with either condition have too often been offered the same therapeutic approaches, despite underlying biology that points in different directions. This research opens the door to precision medicine for eating disorders — treatment matched to specific biology — in the way it has already reshaped oncology and cardiology.
The next phase will involve approximately 4,000 New Zealand participants through the Eating Disorder Genetics Initiative. The shift toward understanding eating disorders as 'metabo-psychiatric' conditions — shaped by both metabolic and psychiatric genetic factors — is not a rejection of psychology, but a recognition that biology and mind are not separate domains, and that treating one without the other leaves the work incomplete.
For decades, eating disorders have been understood primarily as disorders of the mind—rooted in psychology, shaped by culture and trauma and distorted thinking. A landmark international study involving University of Otago researchers and more than 500 New Zealand participants is now challenging that framework. The work, published in Nature Mental Health and led by researchers at King's College London and the University of North Carolina, has mapped the genetic architecture of binge eating and anorexia nervosa side by side for the first time at scale, revealing that these two conditions are far more biologically distinct than their shared category suggests.
The findings are striking in their specificity. Researchers identified six genomic regions associated with binge-eating behaviour, including one near the FTO gene, long known for its influence on body weight. Eight different regions were linked to anorexia nervosa. Yet the story is not simply about different genes—it is about how those genes interact with metabolism and psychiatric function in fundamentally different ways. Binge eating showed a stronger genetic connection to ADHD, while anorexia nervosa displayed a more pronounced relationship with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Both conditions shared genetic influences with depression and anxiety, but the patterns diverged in ways that matter for understanding what is actually happening in the body and brain.
Perhaps most counterintuitive: genetic factors associated with higher body weight increased the risk of binge eating, but appeared to protect against anorexia nervosa. This inversion alone suggests that eating disorders cannot be reduced to a single biological story about weight regulation. Associate Professor Jenny Jordan, a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychological Health at Otago, frames the implication plainly: "Even though these two conditions both fall under the category of eating disorders, they clearly differ deeply on a biological level." The research does not erase psychology from the picture. Rather, it expands the lens to what researchers now call "metabo-psychiatric" conditions—illnesses shaped by the interplay of metabolic and psychiatric genetic factors working together.
Professor Martin Kennedy from the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine emphasizes what this means in practice. By analysing DNA from tens of thousands of people worldwide, researchers can now see clear genetic signatures for each condition. The New Zealand contribution—those 500-plus participants—has been essential to building that global picture. Kennedy notes that the research is "fleshing out the genetic and biological underpinnings of eating disorders and will create new opportunities for improved treatment and ideally prevention."
The human stakes are significant. Eating disorders affect people across all body sizes and carry serious physical and psychological consequences. For too long, the gap between understanding and treatment has been wide. A person struggling with binge eating and a person with anorexia nervosa may both be told their illness is psychological, may both be offered the same therapeutic approaches, even though their underlying biology is pulling in different directions. Precision medicine—treatment matched to the specific biology of each condition—has become possible in oncology and cardiology. This research opens that door for eating disorders.
The work is not finished. The next phase will draw on approximately 4,000 New Zealand participants who have contributed to the Eating Disorder Genetics Initiative, further deepening Aotearoa's role in international research. Jordan sees this expansion as crucial for understanding the full spectrum of eating disorders and developing more targeted prevention strategies. The shift from "eating disorders are psychological" to "eating disorders are metabo-psychiatric" is not a rejection of psychology. It is a recognition that biology and mind are not separate domains, and that understanding one without the other leaves treatment incomplete.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
Even though these two conditions both fall under the category of eating disorders, they clearly differ deeply on a biological level— Associate Professor Jenny Jordan, Department of Psychological Health, University of Otago
By analysing DNA from tens of thousands of people worldwide with binge eating or anorexia nervosa, we can start to see clear genetic signatures for each condition— Professor Martin Kennedy, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, University of Otago
Möchten Sie die ganze Geschichte?
Das Original lesen bei NZDoctor ↗
Education