Binge Eating Disorder Affected by Brain Chemistry
To what extent do physical processes, including brain chemistry, play a part in the development or continuation of eating disorders? Recent research in patients with Binge Eating Disorder (BED) reveals that brain chemistry is a factor that may explain some of the difficulty in overcoming BED.
A study published in the March issue of the journal Obesity revealed that brain chemistry is different in those with BED, when compared to other obese individuals. For those with BED, the sight or smell of food increases the levels of a chemical called dopamine, which is involved in the sensation of pleasure and relaxation. The lead author of the study, Gene-Jack Wang, said that “In earlier studies of normal-weight healthy people who had been food-deprived for 16 hours, we found that dopamine releases were significantly correlated with self-reports of hunger and desire for food. These results provided evidence of a conditioned-cue response to food.” For those with BED, it may be that these increases in dopamine levels prompt episodes of compulsive overeating.
Wang and colleagues measured brain activity with Positron emission tomography (PET) scans. At the very sight or smell of food, brain scans of those with BED measured a spike in dopamine levels; those with obesity but without BED did not measure a spike. Dopamine is thought to motivate a person to seek pleasure or reward.
Wang compared the effect of food on those with BED to the effect of drugs observed in addicted individuals. He was encouraged by the results of the study, however: “Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms underlying food stimulation might point us toward new ways to help individuals regulate their abnormal eating behaviors,” Wang said.