More than half of individuals aged 23, participating in a European study, demonstrate patterns of restrictive, emotional, or uncontrolled eating, as revealed by new research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London. The study suggests that differences in brain structure may contribute to the formation of these eating behaviors.
A recent study led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London found that over 50% of 23-year-olds in Europe exhibit eating behaviors that are restrictive, emotional, or uncontrolled. Structural differences in the brain seem to have a significant influence on the emergence of these habits.
The research, published in Nature Mental Health, explores the connections between genetics, brain structures, and disordered eating behaviors in young individuals. The findings indicate that ‘brain maturation,’ characterized by a reduction in the volume and thickness of the cortex (the brain’s outer layer) during adolescence, is a factor that can affect whether teenagers develop restrictive or emotional/uncontrolled eating habits in early adulthood.
Restrictive eating behaviors, including dieting and purging, involve intentionally limiting food intake to manage body weight and shape. Conversely, emotional or uncontrolled eating behaviors, such as binge-eating, revolve around excessive food consumption triggered by negative emotions or compulsion.
The researchers examined data from 996 adolescents enrolled in the IMAGEN longitudinal study conducted across England, Ireland, France, and Germany. Participants provided genetic information, filled out questionnaires about their wellbeing and eating habits, and underwent MRI scans at ages 14 and 23. At age 23, they were classified into three groups based on their eating behaviors: healthy eaters (42%), restrictive eaters (33%), and emotional or uncontrolled eaters (25%).
Different patterns of mental health and behavior emerged over time among these groups.
Younger individuals exhibiting unhealthy eating patterns (restrictive and emotional/uncontrolled) at age 23 reported higher instances of both internalizing issues (like anxiety or depression) and externalizing problems (such as hyperactivity or conduct issues) at age 14 compared to healthy eaters. Those with internalizing issues experienced a notable increase from age 14 to 23. While externalizing issues decreased across all groups as they aged, those engaging in emotional or uncontrolled eating maintained higher overall levels.
Restrictive eaters were found to diet more persistently during adolescence than their healthy-eating counterparts. Emotional/uncontrolled eaters experienced an increase in dieting from ages 14 to 16 and binge-eating from ages 14 to 19, when compared to healthy eaters. Unhealthy eating habits were also associated with obesity and a heightened genetic predisposition for increased body mass index (BMI).
To understand brain development’s impact, researchers analyzed MRI data from ages 14 and 23, noting changes in cortical volume and thickness. Results showed that unhealthy eaters experienced a delay and a less significant change in brain maturation. This delay linked the mental health challenges present at age 14 with the unhealthy eating behaviors seen at age 23, independently of BMI. Additionally, diminished brain maturation clarified how genetic risks for high BMI could lead to unhealthy eating at age 23.
Specifically, a slower maturation of the cerebellum—a brain area responsible for controlling appetite—was found to explain the relationship between genetic risks for high BMI and restrictive eating behaviors at age 23.
This research, funded by the Medical Research Foundation, Medical Research Council, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, underscores how brain development, genetics, and mental health issues intersect to influence symptoms of eating disorders.
Xinyang Yu, a PhD student at King’s IoPPN and the principal author of the study, commented, “Our research highlights how delays in brain maturation during adolescence connect genetics, mental health challenges, and disordered eating behaviors in young adults, underscoring the vital influence of brain development on eating patterns.”
Co-author Dr. Zuo Zhang, a Research Fellow at King’s IoPPN, noted, “By revealing that various unhealthy eating behaviors are associated with distinct mental health symptom trajectories and brain development patterns, our findings may help create more personalized intervention approaches.”
Professor Sylvane Desrivières, a Biological Psychiatry Professor at King’s IoPPN and the senior researcher of the study, stated, “Our findings underscore the advantages of enhanced educational efforts focused on unhealthy eating habits and poor coping mechanisms, which could be essential in preventing eating disorders and fostering overall brain health.”
