Could Alcoholism and Eating Disorders Share a Common Link?

A new study suggests that alcohol abuse and eating disorders share a common link.

According to researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, people with alcohol dependence may also be more genetically prone to have an eating disorder and vice versa.

"In clinical practice, it's been observed that individuals with eating disorders also have high rates of alcohol abuse and dependence," study author Melissa A. Munn-Chernoff, PhD, said in a news release.

The study looked at data from 6,000 adult twins in Australia, revealing that various genetic factors trigger substance abuse disorders that could also trigger binge eating disorders or self-induced vomiting or laxative abuse.

The study authors note that when comparing findings in both identical and fraternal twins, they can determine whether or not certain traits might be caused by environmental perspectives or genetic traits.

All participants filled out surveys regarding their alcohol use and binge eating, but only female twins were asked regarding compensatory behaviors including purging and laxative or diuretic use.

The study showed that nearly 25 percent of men and 6 percent of women had been alcohol dependent at some point while 11 percent of men and 13 percent of women had experienced binge eating problems. Results also showed that approximately 14 percent of women had engaged in purging or laxative or diuretic-abuse.

"Those numbers suggest that there are shared genetic risk factors for these behaviors, such as purging and fasting," said Munn-Chernoff, via a release. "It appears that some genes that influence alcohol dependence also influence binge eating in men and women, and compensatory behaviors in women."

The researcher suggest that if doctors and psychiatrists are more aware that these can occur together, it may be able to help them provide better treatment to some patients suffering from similar issues.

More information regarding these findings can be found in the September issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.