In conclusion, we did not find evidence to support the hypothesis that impulsivity and dietary restraint moderate relationships between 5-HT candidate genes and binge eating. We did, however, replicate previous findings (see Nomura et al., 2006; Sakado et al., 2003) associating the 5-HT2a receptor and 5-HTT genes with impulsivity in non-clinical populations. Our study used a novel design to examine the moderating effects of impulsivity on 5-HT gene/BN phenotype relationships, and it was the first to investigate the presence of gene-dietary restraint interactions. Future work should further examine these hypotheses in larger samples that include direct assessments of caloric restriction and several different measures of impulsivity. In addition, we hope that our methodology and approach can be used by others to continue examining gene x environment interactions in the development of eating disorders.
