Eating Disorders and Alcohol Abuse Often Go Hand in Hand

Scientists at the Washington University School of Medicine maintain that, according to their investigations, the underlying genetic cause for eating disorders and alcohol abuse is roughly the same.

The researchers claim this explains why people suffering from alcohol dependence are more likely to develop an eating disorder and vice versa.

Writing in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, the researchers explain that the scientific community has long been aware of the fact that eating disorders and alcohol abuse often go hand in hand.

“In clinical practice, it's been observed that individuals with eating disorders also have high rates of alcohol abuse and dependence,” study first author Melissa A. Munn-Chernoff argues, as cited by EurekAlert.

However, scientists who have previously researched this phenomenon have chosen to only focus on women. Hence the fact that their results were not bullet-proof.

“Other studies have focused on the genetic connections between alcohol dependence and eating disorders, but all of those studies looked only at women. Ours was the first to include men as well,” Melissa A. Munn-Chernoff details.

To test whether or not eating disorders and alcohol abuse share a genetic link, said researcher and her colleagues looked into the medical records of nearly 3,000 pairs of twins living in Australia.

Some of these twins were identical, i.e. shared 100% of their genes, others were fraternal, i.e. shared merely 50% of their genetic makeup.

By studying pairs of twins, the scientists were able to determine to what extent genetics and environmental conditions influence certain behaviors.

“By comparing the findings in identical and fraternal twins, we can develop estimates of how much of the difference in particular traits is due to genes or environment,” Melissa A. Munn-Chernoff argues.

“It appears that some genes that influence alcohol dependence also influence binge eating in men and women, and compensatory behaviors [i.e. purging and abusing laxatives and diuretics] in women,” she adds.

In light of these findings, the researchers ask that physicians and therapists treating either one of these conditions keep an eye open for the other.

As Melissa A. Munn-Chernoff puts it, “If centers could be aware of that and perhaps treat both problems at the same time, that would be a big help.”