“I can't stop eating”- Binge Eating Disorder and the Leptin Signaling Pathway BY HUONG LE (HARVARD UNIVERSITY), EMILY JOHNS (STANFORD UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE), & JULIEN GRIMAUD (SUP'BIOTECH RESEARCH DEPARTMENT) Cover Image: Burger, Soda, and Fries. Image Source: Pexel
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Abstract Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is a very common mental illness that significantly reduces the quality of life and health. BED is characterized by consuming an abnormally large amount of food in a short period of time and feeling a lack of control over what and how much you are eating, often resulting in guilt or emotional distress. Despite its prevalence and severity, the neuroscience of BED is not well understood in medical and research communities alike. Recent research on the hormone leptin sheds light on a possible neural map of BED. Understanding the role of leptin signaling in BED may illuminate avenues of future research and treatment.
of self-conscious peers. She became hyper-aware of her meal portions, eating “good” food and avoiding “bad" food. After failing to live up to her impossible standards, Amanda was overcome with an intense sense of guilt and would spend 2+ hours in the gym every day attempting to burn off the excess calories.
Introduction At first, Amanda L. didn't recognize she had an eating disorder. Until age 15, she never cared much about her eating habits. Like most other teenagers, she enjoyed her food in large quantities and did not give too much thought afterward, even when she felt full.
However, in the spring of 2020, she was evicted from her college campus and found herself back in her parent's home primarily confined to her childhood bedroom. As the COVID-19 pandemic sent huge waves of panic across the nation most schools and businesses also closed. The combined increase in stress and inactivity from lockdowns prompted Amanda to continually reduce her portions and exercise excessively. Soon, one, three, and six months passed. Prompted by a combination of the stress and anxiety caused by the pandemic and her disordered eating and exercise habits she developed a cycle of restricting caloric intake, binging food, feeling guilty about it, over-exercising, restricting, and so on.
Her mindset and eating habits changed when Amanda entered college and was immersed in a highly pressured environment and community
Amanda was not alone. Across the country, the COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on peoples’ mental and physical health (Von DARTMOUTH UNDERGRADUATE JOURNAL OF SCIENCE
