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Research endorses the importance of weight history evaluation for eating disorders and illustrates the crucial function of GLP-1 in the connection between weight reduction and binge eating intensity
A revolutionary study conducted at Florida State University has revealed the biological and behavioral implications of weight reduction that contribute to binge eating among women facing bulimia nervosa and related conditions.
Directed by Pamela Keel, Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor in FSU’s Department of Psychology, the research illuminates the significance of the hormones leptin and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1) for comprehending excessive food consumption in binge eating among women.
“When an individual sheds pounds, they enter this ‘psychobiological dilemma,’” Keel explained. “We inhabit a society that esteems weight loss, so mentally, you feel driven to maintain that loss. Yet biologically, your body isn’t programmed to sustain that weight reduction. Trapped between the aspiration to be slim and the strong cravings to consume more food, weight suppression can ensnare individuals in cycles of bingeing and purging.”
WHY IT MATTERS
This research emphasizes the idea of weight suppression — the variance between a person’s maximum and current weight — and its impact on hormonal levels.
The investigators discovered that heightened weight suppression correlates with diminished levels of leptin, while reduced leptin was additionally linked to lower secretion of the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1 post-consumption. Both hormones are instrumental in regulating appetite.
Leptin, mainly produced by adipose tissue, communicates to the brain regarding the body’s energy reserves, whereas GLP-1, released by the digestive system in reaction to food intake, informs the brain when sufficient food has been ingested. The study indicated that a lower GLP-1 reaction was connected to the necessity to consume more food to achieve satiety, which was related to more pronounced binge episodes.
“Before this study, the centerpiece of the equation – GLP-1 and deficits in satiation – was entirely absent, and that missing component is vital for enhancing treatment for bulimia and associated disorders,” Keel mentioned.
IMPLICATIONS FOR TREATMENT
This research highlights the necessity of evaluating weight history alongside current weight in patients with eating disorders, indicating that medications affecting GLP-1 receptor agonists, initially approved by the FDA for type 2 diabetes and more lately for weight management, may hold promise in addressing binge eating.
“Our study provides unique insights as the first project to associate the biological effects of weight loss, namely lower leptin and diminished GLP-1, with increased food consumption, which is a fundamental characteristic of binge eating,” stated co-author Lindsay Bodell, a professor in the Department of Psychology at Western University in Ontario, Canada. “These results suggest new avenues for treatment, offering hope for those grappling with eating disorders.”
The article also addresses the necessity for further exploration of GLP-1 medication misuse as a symptom of eating disorders and presents cognitive-behavioral therapy as a primary intervention for bulimia and similar conditions.
The investigation involved nearly 400 women across various weights, encompassing a spectrum of eating disorders characterized by recurrent binge eating, alongside women without any eating disorders. This methodology aimed to uncover mechanisms underlying binge eating across diagnoses of anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, and other specified feeding and eating disorders to maximize potential impact.
FUNDING AND MORE INFORMATION
This study received financial support from a $2.1 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health, part of the National Institutes of Health, aimed at exploring biobehavioral predictors of bulimia. Additional assistance was granted by Florida State University through an award from the U.S. Department of Education Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund.
For further details about Keel’s research, visit her lab’s website. For more information about FSU’s Department of Psychology, visit psychology.fsu.edu.
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