Genetics, brain development, and mental health shape teenage eating habits

Research reveals how neurodevelopment and mental health influence unhealthy eating patterns during adolescence.

study: Relationship between eating behavior and psychopathology, brain maturation and genetic risk of obesity in an adolescent cohort study. Image credit: Dasha Petrenko/Shutterstock.com

In a recent study published in natural mental health, A group of researchers investigated the neurobiological mechanisms linking young people's eating behavior, genetic risk for obesity, psychopathology and brain maturation trajectories.

background

Eating disorders (EDs) are serious mental illnesses with high mortality rates and significant impact on quality of life. The rising prevalence among adolescents highlights the need for early detection and intervention.

Key risk factors include cognitive suppression (CR), emotional eating (EE), and uncontrolled eating (UE), which are associated with eating disorders, negative body image, obesity, and high Related to body mass index (BMI).

Genetic studies have linked obesity-related mutations to these behaviors. At the same time, neurobiological discoveries have revealed that brain maturation and psychopathology, such as internalizing problems (IP) and externalizing problems (EP), contribute to ED risk. Further research is needed to clarify these complex relationships.

About research

Participants in this study were part of Imaging Genetics (IMAGEN), a longitudinal genetic and neuroimaging cohort of adolescents from eight centers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and Germany. The study received ethical approval from the local committee with written informed consent from participants and their guardians.

This cohort was designed to investigate genetic and neurobiological factors that influence behavior, and includes participants of European descent based primarily on self-report and during genetic analysis through statistical approaches. Non-European ancestry was excluded.

Data on emotional and behavioral problems were collected using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) at ages 14, 16, 19, and 23 years. Neuroimaging data (N = 949) were obtained at 14 and 23 years of age, and eating behavior was assessed at 23 years of age. (N = 996) using the Three-Factor Feeding Questionnaire (TFEQ).

TFEQ measured CR, EE, and UE and validated them across European populations. ED symptoms such as dieting, overeating, and purging were self-reported through developmental and health assessments. Emotional and behavioral problems were analyzed longitudinally using the IP and EP subscales of the SDQ.

High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were processed using rigorous quality control, segmentation, and normalization protocols. Statistical analyzes included K-means clustering of dietary behavior groups and multivariate mediation models to assess the interaction of genetic risk, brain maturation, and psychopathology.

Research results

A total of 996 participants (478 men, 518 women) with perfect TFEQ scores at age 23 and at least one SDQ measure at ages 14, 16, 19, and 23 were included in this analysis. included in. K-means clustering identified healthy eaters (HE, N = 423), restrictive eaters (RE, N = 324), and emotional/uncontrolled eaters (E/UE, N = 249). ) three distinct eating behavior groups were identified. Stability and validity tests confirmed this classification with Jaccard similarities ranging from 0.75 to 0.83.

HE scored lower on all TFEQ subscales. RE showed the highest CR score and was characterized by behaviors such as consciously restricting food intake and avoiding foods associated with weight gain, while UE showed higher scores than HE. E/UE had the highest EE and UE scores and was characterized by eating in response to emotions such as loneliness and anxiety, as well as frequent episodes of binge eating.

E/UE also increased CR compared to HE. RE and E/UE groups had a higher proportion of women, whereas HE had a higher proportion of men. Differences were observed in BMI polygenic score (PGS), with RE and E/UE scores higher than HE.

A longitudinal analysis of ED symptoms from ages 14 to 23 revealed significant group differences. RE showed consistently higher diet levels than HE, but there was no age-related interaction effect. In contrast, E/UE was associated with age-related increases in dieting, overeating, and purging, particularly among those aged 14 to 23 years.

Emotional and behavioral problems analyzed using latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) revealed that RE and E/UE experience higher IP over time compared to HE . Although EP decreased in all groups, E/UE started with significantly higher EP levels at 14 years of age.

Brain maturation analysis showed group-specific patterns in gray matter volume (GMV), cortical thickness (CT), and sulcus depth (SD). RE showed smaller GMV reductions in the left cerebellum, whereas E/UE showed smaller reductions across multiple brain regions, including the frontal and parahippocampal gyri.

Mediation analysis suggested that differences in brain maturation partially mediated the relationship between psychopathology and eating behavior. Genetic influences, particularly BMI PGS, are associated with long-term GMV reduction, further influencing feeding behavior profiles.

conclusion

This study used a longitudinal multivariate framework to investigate the complex relationship between adolescent eating behavior, genetic factors, psychopathology, and brain development. Adolescents with unhealthy eating patterns, such as restrictive eaters (RE) and adolescents who experience binge eating or binge eating episodes (E/UE), have lower body mass index (BMI) and BMI polygenic score (PGS). It was found to be high, indicating a genetic predisposition such as: BMI is high.

These groups also showed increased levels of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, increased tendency to diet and overeat, and slower brain maturation, particularly in the cerebellum and prefrontal cortex. This study revealed that smaller reductions in cerebellar volume mediated the association between higher BMI PGS and restrictive eating behavior.

In contrast, other brain regions mediated the relationship between externalizing psychopathology and episodes of binge eating or binge eating. These findings highlight the complex interplay of genetics, neurodevelopment, and mental health that influence adolescent eating behavior.