A new study from Karolinska Institutet uncovers the complex genetic architecture behind anorexia and binge-eating, highlighting different biological pathways and their links to wider behavioural traits. The findings suggest a move towards personalised treatment strategies rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Eating disorders are often described as problems of weight, food or body image. A new study from Karolinska Institutet suggests the reality is broader, pointing to a genetic architecture that helps explain why anorexia nervosa and binge-eating behaviour can arise in different ways and overlap with other conditions. Researchers analysing tens of thousands of people found that the two disorders share some biological features, but also have distinct genetic signatures.
The findings add to a growing body of work showing that eating disorders are not driven by psychology alone. Karolinska Institutet has said its wider research programme is examining the genetic basis of eating disorders through large international datasets, including saliva samples and questionnaires, to better understand inherited risk. The latest analysis, published in Nature Mental Health, drew on nearly 40,000 people with binge-eating behaviour and about 25,000 with anorexia nervosa, compared with more than 1.2 million people without eating disorders.
The study identified six genetic markers linked to binge eating and eight associated with anorexia, including two newly reported markers for anorexia. It also found that some of the genetic signals tied to binge eating overlap with traits such as impulsivity, smoking, risk-taking, higher body-mass index and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, while anorexia showed stronger genetic connections with obsessive-compulsive disorder. That pattern suggests the disorders are connected to wider behavioural and psychiatric traits, not simply to metabolism or body weight.
Public health researchers have long noted that eating disorders affect millions of people worldwide, with the highest numbers in high-income countries and especially Western Europe. Most first cases emerge before age 25, according to the figures cited by Euronews. For clinicians and families, the new work strengthens the case for treatment strategies that reflect the different biological pathways involved, rather than treating all eating disorders as variations of the same condition.
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