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Objective: Binge-eating disorder (BED) is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating and is associated with eating disorder and general psychopathology and overweight/obesity. Deficits in cognitive and emotional functioning for eating disorders or obesity have been reported. However, a systematic review on cognitive and emotional functioning for individuals with BED is lacking. Method: A systematic literature search was conducted across three databases (Medline, PubMed, and PsycINFO). Overall, n = 57 studies were included in the present review. Results: Regarding cognitive functioning, individuals with BED consistently demonstrated higher information processing biases compared to obese and normal-weight controls in the context of disorder-related stimuli (i.e., food and body cues), whereas cognitive functioning in the context of neutral stimuli appeared to be less affected. Thus, results suggest disorder-related rather than general difficulties in cognitive functioning in BED. With respect to emotional functioning, individuals with BED reported difficulties similar to individuals with other eating disorders, with a tendency to show less severe difficulties in some domains. In addition, individuals with BED reported greater emotional deficits when compared to obese and normal-weight controls. Findings suggest general difficulties in emotional functioning in BED. Thus far, however, investigations of emotional functioning in disorder-relevant situations are lacking. Discussion: Overall, the cross-sectional findings indicate BED to be associated with difficulties in cognitive and emotional functioning. Future research should determine the nature of these difficulties, in regards to general and disorder-related stimuli, and consider interactions of both domains to foster the development and improvement of appropriate interventions in BED.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:17:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Beatriz Azevedo Moraes.pdf: 2597554 bytes, checksum: fbe5f48c5153f3acb37c26e3e5e3fb43 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-03-28 / The objective of this work was to investigate the eating behavior of three women who underwent bariatric surgery and propose an intervention for the control of food restriction and the intermittent access to palatable foods as a strategy to change an eating pattern said to be compulsive. Participated in this research three women who agreed to record their daily food ingestion, through an electronic self-monitoring and photo taking during four phases. The first, Baseline, was performed to assess the initial dietary pattern. In Phase 2, the participants were given tokens to exchange for gift cards, in case the electronic record was corresponding to the photo, to ensure the reliability of the record. In Phase 3.1, besides the reinforcement for correspondence, the participants were instructed to eat every three hours and in case of following this guidance, they would also receive the tokens. In Phase 3.2, the instruction and reinforcement were designed for the preparation and intake of a palatable portion of food of up to 150 kcal. During Phase 4, the suspension of the intervention occurred, and only the selfmonitoring and the photo were kept. Among the 3 participants, one (P3) interrupted her participation before the start of Phase 2. The results showed that for P1 and P2, binge eating during Baseline was classified by the quality and quantity of food ingested and after the intervention only the eating behavior before a certain quality of food (sugars and fats) seemed to have been evocative for the binge reporting. The data also showed the change of eating habits of P1 and P2, once the intervals between meals decreased and both began to ingest palatable foods in a more continuous and limited way. This change coincides with the decrease in the report of episodes said to be compulsive, indicating that the variables that the study aimed to alter seem, in fact, to be related to the improper eating behavior of the participants / O objetivo da presente pesquisa foi investigar o comportamento alimentar de três mulheres que realizaram a cirurgia bariátrica e propor uma intervenção para o controle da restrição alimentar e do acesso intermitente à alimentos palatáveis como estratégia de mudança do padrão alimentar dito compulsivo. Participaram da pesquisa três mulheres que concordaram em registrar diariamente sua alimentação, através de um automonitoramento eletrônico e da foto durante quatro fases. A primeira, Linha de Base, foi realizada para avaliar o padrão alimentar inicial de cada participante. Na Fase 2 as participantes receberam fichas para trocar por um vale-compras, caso o registro eletrônico fosse correspondente à foto, de forma a garantir a fidedignidade do registro. Na Fase 3.1, além do reforçamento para a correspondência, as participantes receberam instruções para se alimentar de três em três horas e caso seguissem a orientação também recebiam fichas. Na Fase 3.2, a instrução e o reforçamento foram delineados para a preparação e ingestão de uma porção diária de alimento palatável de até 150kcal. Durante a Fase 4, ocorreu a suspenção da intervenção, sendo mantido apenas o automonitoramento e a foto. Das 3 participantes, uma (P3) interrompeu sua participação antes do início da Fase 2. Os resultados mostraram que para P1 e P2 a compulsão alimentar durante a Linha de Base foi classificada através da qualidade e da quantidade de alimento ingerida e após a intervenção apenas o comportamento alimentar diante de determinada qualidade dos alimentos (açucares e gorduras) parece ter sido evocativa para o relato de compulsão. Os dados também apontaram a mudança dos hábitos alimentares de P1 e P2, uma vez que os intervalos entre as refeições diminuíram e ambas passaram a ingerir alimentos palatáveis de forma mais contínua e limitada. Esta mudança coincide com a diminuição no relato de episódios ditos compulsivos, indicando que as variáveis que o estudo se propôs a alterar parecem estar, de fato, relacionadas com o comportamento alimentar inadequado das participantes

While cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most well-established treatment for binge-eating disorder (BED), little is known about process factors influencing its outcome. The present study sought to explore the assessment of therapist adherence, its course over treatment, and its associations with patient and therapist characteristics, and the therapeutic alliance. In a prospective multicenter randomized-controlled trial comparing CBT to internet-based guided self-help (INTERBED-study), therapist adherence using the newly developed Adherence Control Form (ACF) was determined by trained raters in randomly selected 418 audio-taped CBT sessions of 89 patients (25% of all sessions). Observer-rated therapeutic alliance, interview-based and self-reported patient and therapist characteristics were assessed. Three-level multilevel modeling was applied. The ACF showed adequate psychometric properties. Therapist adherence was excellent. While significant between-therapist variability in therapist adherence was found, within-therapist variability was non-significant. Patient and therapist characteristics did not predict the therapist adherence. The therapist adherence positively predicted the therapeutic alliance. The ACF demonstrated its utility to assess therapist adherence in CBT for BED. The excellent levels of therapist adherence point to the internal validity of the CBT within the INTERBED-study serving as a prerequisite for empirical comparisons between treatments. Variability between therapists should be addressed in therapist trainings and dissemination trials.

To investigate whether there are different patterns of development for binge eating and purging behavior among pre-adolescent and early adolescent girls, I conducted trajectory analyses of those behaviors in 938 girls across eight waves of data from the spring of 5th grade (the last year of elementary school) through the spring of 9th grade (the first year of high school). Analyses revealed four separate developmental trajectories for binge eating behavior (labeled none, increasing, decreasing, and high steady) and three separate developmental trajectories for purging behavior (labeled none, dabble, and increasing). Fifth grade scores on risk factors that were both personality-based (negative affect and negative urgency) and learning-based (expectancies for reinforcement from eating and from thinness) differentiated among the trajectory groups, in some cases before the groups differed in the target behaviors. These findings are the first, to my knowledge, to examine developmental trajectories for eating disorder onset in youth as young as elementary school. Clinical implications are discussed.

Orientador: Wilza Carla Spiri / Resumo: Introdução: A prevalência da obesidade vem aumentando entre adultos em todo o mundo e está associada com aumento do risco de morbimortalidade, bem como redução da expectativa de vida com resultados negativos de saúde. Também associa-se a outras patologias como transtorno de ansiedade, comportamento compulsivo e desequilíbrio no comportamento do sono. Apesar da obesidade ser considerada uma patologia previnível, ainda existem grandes dificuldades associadas com a perda de peso e a sua manutenção através da modificação do estilo de vida no cenário atual, mostrando a necessidade de investigação de fatores que abordem não só o peso, mas também patologias e/ou sintomas associados. A terapia floral faz parte de um campo emergente de terapias vibracionais, e suas essências, feitas a partir de plantas silvestres, flores e árvores do campo, atuam harmonizando as emoções, e não tratando de condições físicas. Neste contexto, aparece como uma alternativa para o alivio do comportamento ansioso dos indivíduos, pois não há incompatibilidade com outros métodos de tratamento, e pode ser indicada a um grande número de pessoas em qualquer etapa da vida. Objetivo: Identificar se o tratamento com terapia floral altera o grau de ansiedade de indivíduos com sobrepeso ou obesidade, com consequente melhora no padrão de sono, redução nos sintomas de compulsão alimentar, redução na frequência cardíaca de repouso e melhora nos níveis de pressão arterial. Métodos: Ensaio Clínico Randomizado, paralelo, co... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: Introduction: The prevalence of obesity is increasing among adults worldwide and is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, as well as a reduction in life expectancy with negative health outcomes. It is also associated with other pathologies such as anxiety disorder, compulsive behavior and imbalance in sleep behavior. Although obesity is considered a predictable pathology, there are still great difficulties associated with weight loss and its maintenance by modifying lifestyle in the current scenario, showing the need to investigate factors that address not only weight but also pathologies and / or associated symptoms. Floral therapy is part of an emerging field of vibrational therapies, and its essences, made from wild plants, flowers and field trees, work by harmonizing emotions, not by treating physical conditions. In this context, it appears as an alternative for the relief of the anxious behavior of individuals, as there is no incompatibility with other treatment methods, and can be indicated to a large number of people at any stage of life. Objective: To identify whether treatment with floral therapy changes the degree of anxiety of overweight or obese individuals, with consequent improvement in sleep pattern, reduction in binge eating symptoms, reduction in resting heart rate and improvement in blood pressure levels. Methods: Randomized, parallel, two-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-week clinical trial conducted at a public stitution ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Submitted by Suzimar de Fatima Benato Fusco (sbenato@gmail.com) on 2018-04-25T18:24:53Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_suzimar_fusco_2018.pdf: 3080060 bytes, checksum: 4575e04721f212bd817687282caf1fc2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ROSANGELA APARECIDA LOBO null (rosangelalobo@btu.unesp.br) on 2018-04-26T18:56:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 fusco_sfb_dr_bot.pdf: 3080060 bytes, checksum: 4575e04721f212bd817687282caf1fc2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-26T18:56:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 fusco_sfb_dr_bot.pdf: 3080060 bytes, checksum: 4575e04721f212bd817687282caf1fc2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-28 / Introdução: A prevalência da obesidade vem aumentando entre adultos em todo o mundo e está associada com aumento do risco de morbimortalidade, bem como redução da expectativa de vida com resultados negativos de saúde. Também associa-se a outras patologias como transtorno de ansiedade, comportamento compulsivo e desequilíbrio no comportamento do sono. Apesar da obesidade ser considerada uma patologia previnível, ainda existem grandes dificuldades associadas com a perda de peso e a sua manutenção através da modificação do estilo de vida no cenário atual, mostrando a necessidade de investigação de fatores que abordem não só o peso, mas também patologias e/ou sintomas associados. A terapia floral faz parte de um campo emergente de terapias vibracionais, e suas essências, feitas a partir de plantas silvestres, flores e árvores do campo, atuam harmonizando as emoções, e não tratando de condições físicas. Neste contexto, aparece como uma alternativa para o alivio do comportamento ansioso dos indivíduos, pois não há incompatibilidade com outros métodos de tratamento, e pode ser indicada a um grande número de pessoas em qualquer etapa da vida. Objetivo: Identificar se o tratamento com terapia floral altera o grau de ansiedade de indivíduos com sobrepeso ou obesidade, com consequente melhora no padrão de sono, redução nos sintomas de compulsão alimentar, redução na frequência cardíaca de repouso e melhora nos níveis de pressão arterial. Métodos: Ensaio Clínico Randomizado, paralelo, com dois braços, duplo cego, placebo-controlado, de quatro semanas, realizado em uma instituição pública do estado de São Paulo - Brasil. Os participantes foram indivíduos sadios de ambos os sexos, com idade de 20 a 59 anos, alfabetizados, com sobrepeso ou obesidade pelos critérios da Organização Mundial da Saúde (IMC ≥ 25 Kg/m2) e com ansiedade moderada ou elevada pelos critérios do Inventário de Ansiedade-Estado (IDATE com Escore ˃ 34). Para a coleta de dados utilizou-se questionário sócio-demográfico e clínico, escala de ansiedade IDATE-ESTADO, Escala de Compulsão Alimentar Periódica (ECAP) e Questionário de Padrão do Sono de Pittsburg (PSQI), aferição da pressão arterial e eletrocardiograma, no momento inicial e após 4 semanas de tratamento. A análise estatística foi realizada calculando o delta para expressar a diferença das médias das medidas de desfecho entre os momentos de avaliação dentro de cada grupo estudado. Em seguida, utilizou-se o Teste de Mann-Whittney para a comparação entre grupos. Análise multivariada foi realizada utilizando modelos de regressão linear robusta simples e múltipla. Resultados: A coleta de dados ocorreu entre setembro de 2015 e janeiro de 2017 e a amostra foi constituída por 40 participantes no grupo placebo e 41 no grupo floral, principalmente pelo sexo feminino (92,5% e 90,2%), com idade média de 42,9 e 38,5 anos e IMC médio de 34,31 e 33,5 kg/m2 nos grupos placebo e floral respectivamente. A análise multivariada mostrou redução estatisticamente significante no grupo floral quando comparado ao grupo Placebo nas seguintes variáveis: IDATE (β=-0,190; p<0,001), PSQI (β=-0,160; p=0,027), ECAP (β=-0,226; p=0,001) e frequência cardíaca de repouso (β=-0,07; p=0,003). Conclusão: indivíduos tratados com terapia floral apresentaram redução de sintomas ansiosos, melhora no padrão de sono, redução nos sintomas de compulsão alimentar e diminuição na frequência cardíaca de repouso maior do que aqueles tratados com placebo. Esse resultado evidencia a importância e a necessidade de ações de saúde em prol da redução da ansiedade e sintomas associados em indivíduos com sobrepeso ou obesidade e fortalece a terapia floral como prática integrativa e complementar na área da saúde. / Introduction: The prevalence of obesity is increasing among adults worldwide and is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, as well as a reduction in life expectancy with negative health outcomes. It is also associated with other pathologies such as anxiety disorder, compulsive behavior and imbalance in sleep behavior. Although obesity is considered a predictable pathology, there are still great difficulties associated with weight loss and its maintenance by modifying lifestyle in the current scenario, showing the need to investigate factors that address not only weight but also pathologies and / or associated symptoms. Floral therapy is part of an emerging field of vibrational therapies, and its essences, made from wild plants, flowers and field trees, work by harmonizing emotions, not by treating physical conditions. In this context, it appears as an alternative for the relief of the anxious behavior of individuals, as there is no incompatibility with other treatment methods, and can be indicated to a large number of people at any stage of life. Objective: To identify whether treatment with floral therapy changes the degree of anxiety of overweight or obese individuals, with consequent improvement in sleep pattern, reduction in binge eating symptoms, reduction in resting heart rate and improvement in blood pressure levels. Methods: Randomized, parallel, two-arm, double-blind, placebo-controlled, four-week clinical trial conducted at a public stitution in the state of São Paulo - Brazil. Participants were healthy individuals of both sexes, aged 20-59 years, literate, overweight or obese according to World Health Organization criteria (BMI ≥ 25 kg / m2) and with moderate or high anxiety according to the criteria of the State - Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) (STAI with Score ˃ 34). Data were collected using a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, State - Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Binge-Eating Scale (BES) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), blood pressure and electrocardiogram and after 4 weeks of treatment. Statistical analysis was performed by calculating the delta to express the difference of means of outcome measures between the moments of evaluation within each group studied. Then, the Mann-Whittney test was used for the comparison between groups. Multivariate analysis was performed using simple and multiple robust linear regression models. Results: Data collection occurred between September 2015 and January 2017, and the sample consisted of 40 participants in the placebo group and 41 in the floral group, mainly female (92.5% and 90.2%), with age mean of 42.9 and 38.5 years and mean BMI of 34.31 and 33.5 kg / m2 in the placebo and floral groups, respectively. The multivariate analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in the floral group when compared to the placebo group in the following variables: IDATE (β = -0.190, p <0.001), PSQI (β = -0.160, p = 0.004), ECAP (β = -0.226; p = 0.001) and resting heart rate (β = -0.07, p <0.001). Conclusion: Individuals treated with floral therapy had reduced anxiety symptoms, improved sleep patterns, reduced binge eating symptoms, and decreased resting heart rate greater than those treated with placebo. This result evidences the importance and necessity of health actions in favor of the reduction of anxiety and associated symptoms in overweight or obese individuals and strengthens floral therapy as an integrative and complementary practice in the health area.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is more recently being recognized as a lifetime disorder that continues to affect individuals into their adult lives. Recent research studies have found connections between ADHD and overweight/obesity. The current study was designed to further explore these relationships and better understand the connections between these two constructs among 340 college students. It was hypothesized that the ADHD symptoms (i.e., inattention and impulsivity) would positively predict depressive symptoms, which in turn would predict emotional/binge eating and lead to overweight/obesity. Additionally, it was hypothesized that impulsivity would predict substance use, which would predict emotional/binge eating and also predict overweight/obesity. The model was tested and exhibited excellent fit. ADHD positively predicted depressive symptoms, which in turn positively predicted emotional/binge eating and led to overweight/obesity. Further, ADHD symptoms also positively predicted substance use, which in turn predicted emotional/binge eating and led to overweight/obesity. All paths were statistically significant and findings suggest there are at least two paths that connect ADHD symptoms and overweight/obesity in adults. The current results are of importance to practicing clinicians because they provide increased clarity and depth regarding the connections and relationship between symptoms of ADHD and overweight/obesity.

Le vécu d'événements traumatiques est associé à l'obésité adulte, et cette association s'expliquerait par l'apparition de troubles alimentaire. D’autre part, il semblerait que l’exposition à une expérience traumatique soit associée à des déficits dans la régulation des émotions, eux-mêmes associés à une prévalence plus élevée de troubles alimentaires. Aussi, les capacités de pleine conscience (i.e., prendre conscience de ses pensées, émotions et sensations dans le présent et sans jugement) ont montré un intérêt croissant dans la littérature afin de proposer aux patients obèses de mieux réguler leurs émotions et ainsi leurs comportements alimentaires. Une première partie s’intéressera au rôle de l’exposition à un événement traumatique dans la régulation des conduites alimentaires de patients obèses. Cette partie est composée de deux études : l’une ayant pour objectif de vérifier les associations entre l’exposition à un événement traumatique et la perte de poids postopératoire ainsi que l’évolution des conduites alimentaires en pré- et postopératoire ; et l’autre ayant pour but d’explorer le rôle des stratégies de régulation des émotions et des capacités de pleine conscience dans la relation entre les effets psychopathologiques de l’exposition à un événement traumatique et les conduites alimentaires. Une seconde partie s’intéressera aux effets des entraînements à la pleine conscience sur les conduites alimentaires et l’activité physique de patients obèses. Cette partie est composée de trois études : une étude de cas clinique, une revue systématique et méta-analyse et un essai contrôlé randomisé (étude MindOb). Les résultats de la première partie montrent que les patients opérés d'une chirurgie bariatrique ont plus de risques de perdre moins de poids en postopératoire et d'avoir des troubles alimentaires en pré- et postopératoire lorsqu'ils ont été exposés à un événement traumatique. De plus, auprès de patients non-opérés, l'impact psychologique d'un événement traumatique, ainsi que des stratégies non-adaptatives de régulation des émotions, sont associés à de la détresse psychologique, de l'impulsivité alimentaire et des accès hyperphagiques. Les résultats de la seconde partie montrent que les interventions basées sur la pleine conscience réduisent l'impulsivité alimentaire et les accès hyperphagiques de patients obèses non-opérés. Aussi, les résultats suggèrent que les interventions basées sur la pleine conscience augmentent le niveau d'activité physique des patients obèses. Cette thèse apporte ainsi des éléments de réponse quant à l'intérêt de proposer des techniques psychothérapeutiques favorisant la régulation des émotions des patients obèses. Il semblerait qu'intervenir en préopératoire soit favorable afin d'éviter la persistance et l'apparition de troubles alimentaires. Aussi, les interventions psychothérapeutiques seraient plus efficaces si elles ciblaient les patients ayant vécu des événements traumatiques et/ou souffrant d'accès hyperphagiques. D'autre part, les interventions basées sur la pleine conscience semblent efficaces, mais la méthode d'intervention optimale est encore à identifier. Il reste à vérifier si l'intervention doit être à distance ou en présentiel, quotidienne et sur le long terme ou sur une courte période, complémentaire à un suivi médical et contextualisée aux troubles alimentaires ou plus généraliste. / Exposure to adverse life events has been associated with adult obesity, and could translate into the appearance of eating disorders. Moreover, exposure to adverse life events has been associated with emotional dysregulation, which would be in turn linked to higher prevalence of eating disorders. Furthermore, mindfulness skills (i.e., non-judgmental awareness of thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations in the present-moment) have been the object of increased attention in the scientific literature as a means to increase emotion regulation and treat eating disorders in obese patients. The first part of this thesis studies the associations of exposure to adverse life events with eating patterns in obese patients. Two studies have been conducted in this part: the first aiming at assessing the association of exposure to adverse life events with postoperative weight-loss, as well as pre- and postoperative eating patterns; and the second aiming at exploring the role of emotion regulation strategies and mindfulness skills in the association of exposure to adverse life events and eating patterns. The second part studies the effects of mindfulness training on eating patterns and physical activity in obese patients. Three studies have been conducted in this part: a clinical case study, a systematic review and meta-analysis, and a randomized controlled trial (MindOb study). The results of the first part showed that bariatric surgery patients exposed to adverse life events are at risk of losing less weight after surgery, as well as having more dysfunctional eating patterns pre- and postoperative. Moreover, with non-operated obese patients, the results showed that the psychological impact of adverse life events and non-adaptive emotion regulation have been associated with psychological distress, impulsive eating, and binge eating. The results of the second part showed that mindfulness training decreased impulsive and binge eating in non-operated patients. Moreover, results showed that mindfulness training could also increase physical activity in these patients. This thesis highlights the need for providing obese patients with psychotherapeutic techniques increasing emotion regulation. The results suggest that pre-surgery interventions could avoid maintenance or the appearance of dysfunctional eating patterns. Moreover, psychotherapeutic interventions would be more effective in the case of patients either exposed to adverse life events or being diagnosed with binge eating disorder. However, while mindfulness training seemed effective, the optimal intervention design has yet to be identified. In fact, the questions of whether such training should be self-help or guided, daily and long-term or short-term, complementary to medical care and adapted to eating disorders or broader, must still be tested.

Obesity prevalence continues to increase worldwide, yet few safe and effective treatment options are available suggesting there needs to be a greater emphasis on preventing rather than treating obesity. This research investigated the association of obesity predisposing SNPs and a gene score with nutrient consumption patterns including total energy intake and macronutrient distribution in a European ancestry population as well as discussing an evolutionary perspective on eating disorders using current epidemiological evidence to identify genes which may be involved. The association of two of the 14 obesity predisposing SNPs and the gene score with BMI was confirmed in the EpiDREAM population. Novel associations between two SNPs located in or near BDNF (rs6265 and rs1401635) were found with total fat, MUFA, and PUFA intake. Rs1401635 was also associated with total energy and trans fat intake. Novel associations of rs6235 (PCSK1) and the gene score were found with total energy intake. The novel associations found indicate that food related behaviours are one of the mechanisms of action through which obesity predisposing SNPs cause obesity and therefore warrant further investigation. The lack of association among all genes and the modest association of the gene score show that mechanisms other than food consumption are important. The investigation of the evolutionary history of eating disorders revealed that the adapted to flee famine hypothesis is a plausible theory explaining anorexia nervosa while the thrifty genotype hypothesis provides a possible explanation for bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. These evolutionary theories can be applied to identify new candidate genes as well as phenotypic traits to investigate to better understand the genetic architecture of eating disorders. Understanding genes associated with disordered eating patterns may highlight future areas for obesity prevention. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / A large percentage of the risk of developing obesity or an eating disorder (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder) is determined by genetics. For obesity, many genes have been identified as influencing risk, but the mechanisms through which the genes work are largely unknown. For eating disorders, gene identification efforts have been mostly unsuccessful and no mechanisms of action have been determined. In the first component of this thesis we found an association between previously identified obesity risk genes and food intake, specifically the total number of calories consumed per day and the percentage of calories from total fat and fat subtypes. These results support that food related behaviours are possible mechanisms of action which need to be further investigated. In the second half of the thesis we viewed eating disorder behaviours from an evolutionary perspective. We concluded that there are theories that possibly explain eating disorder behaviours including being able to live off of small quantities of food as well as binging. These evolutionary theories can be applied to identify new genes to study in the context of eating disorders as well as different definitions of eating disorders.