EDGI2: The Next Wave of Eating Disorders Research

EDGI1 vs. EDGI2: What’s New in the Next Wave of Our Eating Disorders Study?

Our Eating Disorders Genetics Initiative (EDGI) study has entered its next phase! Building on the success of EDGI1, which saw 3,500 New Zealanders participate, EDGI2 is expanding our understanding of eating disorders even further by allowing us to bring in an additional 2000 participants. Here’s what’s new and why we’re excited about this next wave of research.

A Continuation and an Expansion

EDGI2 is not just a continuation of the first study—it’s an opportunity to build on our initial findings and broaden our research scope. While EDGI1 focused on common eating disorders like anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge-eating disorder (BED), EDGI2 extends the range of eating disorders we are studying. For the first time, we are including avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN), ensuring our research captures a wider spectrum of experiences.

New and Improved Survey Questions

One of the biggest updates in EDGI2 is the refinement of our survey questionnaires. While the core of the study remains the same, we’ve made important additions to ensure we’re capturing relevant aspects of eating disorders. Notably, we’ve included questions on ARIFD, and other issues such as muscle dysmorphia— which can be particularly relevant to men, who may experience eating and body image concerns in different ways than women. Despite these additions, the estimated time to complete the survey has only increased by about 10 minutes compared to EDGI1.

Expanding Participation

EDGI2 aims to recruit an additional 2,000 participants. Like EDGI1, participants will be asked to complete survey questionnaires and provide a saliva sample for DNA analysis. This genetic data will help researchers uncover biological factors that contribute to eating disorders, potentially leading to improved treatments and interventions in the future.

Why Your Participation Matters

The success of EDGI1 was a huge milestone, but our work is far from over. By expanding our study in EDGI2, we hope to gain a more comprehensive understanding of eating disorders and their impact across different populations. If you or someone you know has experienced an eating disorder, your participation could help shape the future of eating disorder research and treatment.

Start the survey now: https://redcap.link/edgi2.nz

Stay tuned for more updates, and if you haven’t yet joined EDGI, now is the perfect time to get involved and help spread the word!