GLP-1s and Binge Eating Disorder
GLP-1 medications can’t alleviate symptoms caused by all of these factors, but they may help certain patients by addressing some of the biological causes of hunger.
“For some people with binge-type eating disorders, these medications appear to mitigate some of the biological roots of disordered eating,” says Kim Dennis, MD, founder of the therapy practice SunCloud Health in Chicago and member of the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders’ Scientific Advisory Board.
The study highlights that GLP-1s could be a vital part of a binge eating treatment plan in the future, alongside psychological therapy and social support. However, the study authors highlight that further research is necessary, as it’s unclear whether the increased dietary restraint that GLP-1s may contribute to is helpful for self-control or may instead lead to imbalanced forms of restricted eating, such as skipping meals.
Because of this medication’s limitations in terms of treating the emotional aspects of eating, it also won’t address trauma or body image distortions, for example, if those issues are at the root of a person’s eating disorder, Dr. Dennis adds.
“Further evidence will be necessary before we can see the complete picture, but they show promise as, at the minimum, an adjunct to current therapy,” says Esposito.
