Around 10% of adults and teenagers binge eat (excessively overeat with a feeling of losing control over what they are consuming) and binge eating is most common in individuals who are overweight or obese. While it has been established that a combination of genetic and environmental factors lead to eating disorders, until now there has been limited research into how specific genes increase the likelihood of binge eating behaviours in adolescence that can lead to obesity.

The research team, led by Dr Nadia Micali from the UCL Institute of Child Health and Professor David Evans from the University of Queensland Diamantina Institute and the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, analysed data from 6,000 participants in Children of the 90s when they were aged 14 and 16. Genetic variations associated with higher BMI (body mass index) and obesity risk were investigated to see if they also predicted binge eating.

The researchers found that if a young person had a particular variation in the FTO gene locus (rs1558902), they were over 20% more likely to binge eat. The pattern was particularly evident in girls, who were 30% more likely to binge eat if they had the variation.

Lead author Dr Micali, said:

This research offers an important first step towards understanding the genetic risk for binge eating and will help inform how we develop strategies to counter the obesity crisis.

We now know variations in the FTO gene can predict binge eating in teenagers, and binge eating in turn can predict obesity. Eventually this finding could allow us to develop more targeted treatment for binge eating, and enable much earlier intervention so young people don’t develop obesity.

Professor Evans added:

This research is the first step in understanding the genetic determinants of binge eating behaviour.