title: Eating in the absence of hunger but not loss of control behaviors are associated with 16p11.2 deletions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The ∼600-kb BP4-BP5 16p11.2 deletion has been consistently associated with obesity. We studied two heritable disinhibited eating behaviors, eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) and loss of control (LOC), to better characterize the relationship between the deletion and obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Our study population included ninety-three 16p11.2 CNV carriers (64 with deletions and 29 with duplications) and their families. We performed analyses using linear mixed models and focused on deletion carriers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We confirmed previous associations between the 16p11.2 deletion and obesity (P < 0.0001) and between all EAH subscales and obesity (P < 0.05), after adjusting for confounders. We found significant associations between the deletion and EAH due to external cues (P = 0.004) and EAH due to boredom (P = 0.003), but not EAH due to fatigue/anxiety or negative affect. Conditioning BMI on the 16p11.2 deletion and each EAH behavior did not abolish the association between the deletion and obesity. LOC was underrepresented and not associated with the deletion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We report evidence that the 16p11.2 deletion may influence specific obesity-associated disinhibited eating behaviors: EAH due to external trigger and EAH due to boredom. Prospective studies are needed to confirm the temporal order of EAH behaviors and obesity related to the deletion.
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA; Department of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.forename: Qixuan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Debra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: D'Angelo
authors.forename: Wendy K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000235:genetics*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002872:Chromosome Deletion; D025063:Chromosome Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D002885:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 / Q000235:genetics; D004644:Emotions; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger / Q000502:physiology*; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics*