Eating Disorders Have Genetic Roots

A few years ago doctors considered eating disorders a social problem, the result of peer pressure, media manipulation or neglectful parenting. New evidence suggests that genes may be the most important factor in determining whether a girl will develop an eating disorder.

Genes play a substantial role in the transmission of both bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Research presented strongly suggests that environmental factors and genetics work together in diseases like anorexia and bulimia.

Doctors have long known that eating disorders run in families, but it was usually assumed that family environment was the reason. Perhaps a lack of parental care contributed to the diseases, or maybe mothers passed their bad eating habits to their daughters.

Based on research, bulimia is 83 percent genetically influenced. Nervosa is 58 percent genetic. Researchers say they are far from finding an "eating disorder gene." In fact, such a gene almost certainly does not exist. But having some gene - or more likely some collection of genes - greatly increases a teen-age girl's chances of developing an eating disorder.

Recent research has found similar patterns for just about every mental illness, and many other behavioral traits as well. Genes have been implicated in depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and homosexuality, even risk-taking.

The next step is to find out what the genes that contribute to eating disorders might be. It will probably be several more years before we can understand the real truth behind eating disorders.

Whatever the genes may be, some of them probably contribute to depression as well. Studies have found that more than half of girls with an eating disorder are also depressed.

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