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Common genetic factors for uncontrolled eating mechanisms
Justin Mahlberg1, Emily Giddens1, Jeggan Tiego1
1School of Psychological Sciences and Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The International Journal of Eating Disorders
|March 1, 2024
Summary
Uncontrolled eating traits are heritable and share genetic links with body mass index (BMI). Understanding these genetic factors is key to addressing obesity and disordered eating patterns.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral Genetics
- Psychiatry
- Obesity Research
Background:
- Reward-based eating is linked to uncontrolled eating behaviors, contributing to obesity and eating disorders.
- Identifying genetic and environmental influences on these behaviors is crucial for understanding their underlying mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the genetic and environmental contributions to uncontrolled eating phenotypes.
- To determine the genetic correlation between uncontrolled eating and body mass index (BMI).
Main Methods:
- A classical twin study design was employed with 353 monozygotic and 128 dizygotic twins.
- Participants completed the Reward-based Eating Drive 13 scale assessing loss of control, preoccupation with food, and lack of satiety.
- Multivariate ACE and common pathway models analyzed genetic (A), common environmental (C), and unique environmental (E) factors and genetic correlations.
Main Results:
- Moderate genetic correlations (0.26-0.41) were found between uncontrolled eating phenotypes and BMI.
- A common latent uncontrolled eating factor, explained by 52% additive genetic factors, best accounted for the variance in these phenotypes.
Conclusions:
- Uncontrolled eating phenotypes are heritable and share significant genetic variance with BMI.
- These findings highlight shared genetic underpinnings for cognitive mechanisms in obesity and disordered eating.
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