Animal Models of Eating Disorders

Eating disorders and drug addiction share many common traits. This includes biological and environmental factors that predispose individuals to develop either disorder, an increased risk for anxiety and depression when the disorders are present, and heightened trait levels of impulsivity and compulsion. Animal models of eating disorders are not as well established as those that model drug addiction, but the research in this area is progressing rapidly. In this chapter, we discuss anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and obesity as these encompass the majority of maladaptive eating behaviors in humans. We begin by outlining the important features that characterize each disorder and that should thereby be present in an animal model. An overview of peptide control of feeding is provided to help the reader evaluate the animal models presented. These are based principally on genetic variation and stressful life events. In general, most animal models based on genetic alterations have limited applicability to humans, at least to date. Those based on stressful life events appear more promising in that they more accurately reproduce alterations in feeding and neuroendocrine function that are characteristic of each disorder. The next obvious step in eating disorder research is to combine the two approaches to determine how genetic alterations and stressful events interact to produce maladaptive eating and physiological changes.