As GLP-1 drugs become increasingly common for weight loss, researchers are beginning to examine what these medications may reveal about eating behavior beyond the scale, including why some people experience persistent urges to binge.
Florida State University’s Pamela Keel, the Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology, has developed emerging research suggesting GLP-1 drugs may help reduce binge-eating symptoms in some patients by addressing a biological factor rather than simply targeting willpower or behavior.
Keel led the research team whose work last summer established that overlooked biological components in bulimia could be targeted by FDA-approved treatments for Type 2 diabetes. Their research concluded that in addition to targeting psychological factors in treatment, screening patients for biological conditions like high weight suppression — the difference between highest and current body weight — can help clinicians identify who might benefit most from GLP-1s.
The finding could help explain why certain patients experience improvements in bingeing when treated with GLP-1 drugs, and why binge eating should not be framed simply as a lack of self-control.
“Most treatments for eating disorders focus on psychological factors,” Keel said. “Our much-needed research allows clinicians to better understand what biological factors to target when treating patients with eating disorders.”
Keel’s study recently gained attention in the Wall Street Journal for a feature on how GLP-1s assisted one person who was battling bulimia — an illness marked by uncontrolled episodes of bingeing and purging. The article highlighted the research team’s finding that some people with bulimia experience a reduced release of the body’s natural GLP-1 hormone after eating — the same hormone these drugs are designed to mimic. The finding suggests that the persistent urge to binge may stem not from psychological weakness, but from a measurable hormonal deficit that medication could help address.
Keel, who conducts translational research in eating disorders, confirmed that her research provides a possible pathway for bingeing improvements for some individuals targeted with GLP-1s.
“These findings suggest that GLP-1 drugs might help some women stop bingeing by correcting problems with lower GLP-1 release while eating,” Keel said.
“These findings suggest that GLP-1 drugs might help some women stop bingeing by correcting problems with lower GLP-1 release while eating.”
– Pamela Keel, Robert O. Lawton Distinguished Professor of Psychology
A recent Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index shows the percentage of U.S. adults currently taking GLP-1s for weight loss has risen to 11% in 2026. Keel’s emerging research supports studies testing GLP-1s for their potential efficacy in individuals with bulimia and related syndromes.
Media interested in learning more about Keel’s research and its importance in navigating treatments for eating disorders may reach out to her via email at keel@psy.fsu.edu.