Genomic meta-analyses of binge-eating behavior and anorexia nervosa yield insights into the unique and shared biology of eating disorder phenotypes

Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review

Contributors

  • Disorders Working Group of the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium - (Author)
  • Division of Psychological and Social Medicine and Developmental Neurosciences
  • Karolinska Institutet
  • Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark
  • NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
  • University of British Columbia
  • DRK Kliniken Berlin
  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
  • Texas Tech University
  • University Hospital Essen
  • University of Texas at Austin
  • Yale University
  • University College London
  • Aarhus University
  • University of Oslo
  • University of Bristol
  • Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospitaland
  • University of Tartu
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center
  • University of Helsinki
  • Broad Institute of Harvard University and MIT
  • Rutgers - The State University of New Jersey, Newark
  • University of Split
  • Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
  • Oberberg Specialist Clinic
  • University of Padua
  • University of Florence
  • Altrecht Mental Health Institute
  • LVR University Hospital Essen
  • Seattle University
  • Université de Nantes
  • University of Medical Sciences Poznan
  • Stanford University
  • King's College London (KCL)
  • Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
  • German Center for Mental Health (DZPG)

Abstract

Eating disorders—including anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder—are clinically distinct but exhibit symptom overlap and diagnostic crossover. Genomic analyses have mostly examined AN. Here we conducted a genomic meta-analysis of case–control studies of binge-eating behavior (BE; 39,279 cases, 1,227,436 controls), alongside analyses of AN (24,223 cases, 1,243,971 controls) and its subtypes (all European ancestries). We identified six BE-associated loci, including loci associated with a higher body mass index and impulse-control behaviors. AN genome-wide association studies yielded eight loci, validating six loci. Subsequent polygenic risk score analysis demonstrated an association with AN in two East Asian ancestry studies. BE and AN exhibited similar positive genetic correlations with psychiatric disorders but opposing genetic correlations with anthropometric traits. Most of the genetic signal in BE and AN was not shared with body mass index. We have extended eating disorder genomics beyond AN; future work will incorporate multiple diagnoses and global ancestries.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1361-1377
Number of pages17
JournalNature Mental Health
Volume4
Issue number9
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2026
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMedCentral PMC13553282
Scopus 105049258123
ORCID /0000-0003-2132-4445/work/226837572
ORCID /0000-0001-8333-867X/work/226837688

Keywords