The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI) is the largest study of how genes and environment influence eating disorders ever performed.

The Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI) is an international research study designed to understand how your genes and your environment can influence your risk for developing an eating disorder. It is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. Eating disorders are life-disrupting and have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness. Our previous studies have demonstrated a strong genetic component to anorexia nervosa, but we are just getting started!

The purpose of EDGI is to learn more about how genes and environment influence risk for bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and to extend our work on anorexia nervosa. If you have ever had one of these three eating disorders, we invite you to participate by taking our survey.

By participating in EDGI, you will help improve our understanding of eating disorders and help yourself and others like you look forward to a brighter future with better treatments.

To participate in EDGI you must:

• Have experienced symptoms of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder at any time in your life.
• Be age 15 or over (parental consent required if under 18).
• Live in the United States (if you live in another country, please click here to see sites in other countries).

There are 5 simple steps to signing up for EDGI:

1. Provide consent to take the eligibility survey
2. Complete the ~20 minute eligibility survey
3. If EDGI is a good fit for you, provide consent for the full study and provide your contact information
4. Send a saliva DNA sample through the mail using our spit kit
5. Complete a series of online questionnaires on your computer or smartphone

We would like to emphasize that you can stop taking part in EDGI at any time.