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Emotional Eating, Binge Eating and Animal Models of Binge-Type Eating Disorders

  • Psychological Issues (M Hetherington and V Drapeau, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The objective of this paper is to review the role that hedonic factors, emotions and self-regulation systems have over eating behaviours from animal models to humans.

Recent Findings

Evidence has been found to suggest that for some high-risk individuals, obesity/binge eating may develop as an impulsive reaction to negative emotions that over time becomes a compulsive habit. Animal models highlight the neural mechanisms that might underlie this process and suggest similarities with substance use disorders.

Summary

Emotional difficulties and neurobiological factors have a role in the aetiology of eating and weight disorders. Precise treatments targeted at these mechanisms may be of help for people who have difficulties with compulsive overeating.

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Acknowledgements

Robert Turton receives funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Psychiatry Research Trust (PRT) (Grant PCPTAAR). Professor Janet Treasure receives support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London. The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of Kings College London, the MRC, the PRT or the NIHR.

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  1. Department of Psychological Medicine, Section of Eating Disorders, King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, 103 Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AZ, UK

    Robert Turton, Rayane Chami & Janet Treasure

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  1. Robert Turton
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Robert Turton and Rayane Chami are joint first authors

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Turton, R., Chami, R. & Treasure, J. Emotional Eating, Binge Eating and Animal Models of Binge-Type Eating Disorders. Curr Obes Rep 6, 217–228 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-017-0265-8

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