Oxytocin: Potential New Treatment for Binge Eating

The brain neuropeptide hormone, oxytocin, is of particular interest in eating disorders, given its known role in appetite regulation. Oxytocin appears to be involved not only in the maintenance of energy homeostasis but also in the regulation of hedonic eating. Evidence points to a potential genetic risk for binge-eating disorders associated with variants of the oxytocin receptor. Moreover, there are several lines of evidence that indicate a reduction in calorie intake after oxytocin administration in bulimia nervosa, and that oxytocin has distinct hypophagic effects in individuals with obesity, which is commonly associated with binge-eating behavior. The currently available results suggest that oxytocin could become a therapeutic consideration in the treatment of binge-eating-related disorders.