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Objective: Binge eating disorder (BED) is a clinical eating disorder that is strongly and bidirectionally related to overweight and obesity. Little is known about how subclinical features of BED relate to weight development in adolescence and young adulthood.Method: Women (n = 2825) and men (n = 2423) from the community-based longitudinal FinnTwin16 cohort participated. Seven eating-related cognitions and behaviors similar to the defining features of BED were extracted from the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 and were assessed at a mean age of 24. We used linear mixed models to assess the association of features of BED with BMI trajectories across four waves of data collection (mean ages 16, 17, 18, and 24).Results: The number of features of BED at wave 4 (age 24) was significantly associated with BMI from age 16 years onwards. Those reporting more features of BED had gained more weight throughout adolescence and into their twenties.Conclusions: Features of BED in young adulthood were preceded by steeper BMI trajectories in adolescence. A higher number of features were consistently associated with higher BMI and more weight gain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Obesity is related to an increased risk of several forms of cancer. However, findings from studies on haematological malignancies are inconsistent. Methods: We used prospectively collected data from two Swedish twin cohorts and the Finnish Twin Cohort (in total 70,067 persons) to study the effects of overweight and obesity on the development of leukaemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and myeloma. The cohorts were followed from baseline through 2002 (Sweden) and through 2004 (Finland). Results: We found a risk increase of myeloma with a relative risk (RR) of 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–3.7) among obese persons, a RR of 2.5 (1.0–6.2) for chronic myeloid leukaemia and a RR of 2.7 (0.8–9.6) for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia among overweight persons as compared to normal-weighted ones. Conclusions: Our results add further evidence suggesting that overweight and obesity may have an impact on some haematological malignancies, in particular myeloma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Obesity and ageing are associated with lower serum testosterone levels in men. How fat distribution or adipose tissue metabolism, independent of genetic factors and age, are related to sex steroid metabolism is less clear. We studied the associations between adiposity and serum sex hormone concentrations, and mRNA expression of genes regulating sex hormone metabolism in adipose tissue in young adult male monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs. The subjects [n = 18 pairs; mean age, 32 years; individual body mass indexes (BMIs) 22–36 kg/m 2 ] included 9 male MZ twin pairs discordant for BMI [intra-pair difference (Δ) in BMI ≥3 kg/m 2 ]. Sex steroid concentrations were determined by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry, body composition by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and magnetic resonance imaging, and mRNA expressions from subcutaneous adipose tissue by Affymetrix. In BMI-discordant pairs (mean ΔBMI = 5.9 kg/m 2 ), serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) was lower [mean 1.9 (SD 0.7) vs . 2.4 (1.0) nmol/l, P = 0.040] and mRNA expressions of DHT-inactivating AKR1C2 ( P = 0.021) and cortisol-producing HSD11B1 ( P = 0.008) higher in the heavier compared to the leaner co-twins. Serum free 17 β -estradiol (E2) was higher [2.3 (0.5) vs . 1.9 (0.5) pmol/l, P = 0.028], and in all twin pairs, serum E2 and estrone concentrations were higher in the heavier than in the leaner co-twins [107 (28) vs . 90 (22) pmol/l, P = 0.006; and 123 (43) vs . 105 (27) pmol/l, P = 0.025]. Within all twin pairs, i.e. independent of genetic effects and age, 1) the amount of subcutaneous fat inversely correlated with serum total and free testosterone, DHT, and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) concentrations ( P < 0.01 for all), 2) intra-abdominal fat with total testosterone and SHBG ( P < 0.05), and 3) liver fat with SHBG ( P = 0.006). Also, 4) general and intra-abdominal adiposity correlated positively with mRNA expressions of AKR1C2 , HSD11B1 , and aromatase in adipose tissue ( P < 0.05). In conclusion, acquired adiposity was associated with decreased serum DHT and increased estrogen concentrations, independent of genetic factors and age. The reduction of DHT could be linked to its increased degradation (by AKR1C2 and HSD11B1) and increased estrogen levels to increased adiposity-related expression of aromatase in adipose tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]