Eating disorder? Genes to blame too

Not all women exposed to the ideal of being fashionably thin develop anorexia nervosa. Judith Tan finds out why


The common perception of anorexia and bulimia sufferers is that they have brought the problem upon themselves by trying to get a fashionably slender figure.

But the causes of eating disorders among young girls and women are far more complex.

Researchers have found that genes seem to play an important role in determining who is vulnerable. It is much like the link between smoking and lung cancer, said Dr Blake Woodside, a psychiatrist at the University of Toronto.

'Not all smokers develop lung cancer. There is a genetic risk factor for smoking-linked cancer. Similarly, not all women exposed to the ideal of being fashionably thin develop eating disorders,' he said.

True, society's obsession with attaining what it perceives to be an ideal body is a contributing factor, which is why 'we get overly concerned with our weight and diet'.

'Yet less than 0.5 per cent of all women develop anorexia nervosa. This points to the fact that that societal pressure is not the lone cause,' he said.

Dr Woodside, who was recently in Singapore to give a talk on the condition and its treatment, took part in the largest genetic study of anorexia in 2003.

The five-year study brought together 11 groups of researchers from North America and Europe, and set out to find regions of the human genome that contain genes influencing the risk of anorexia.

DNA was taken from families with two or more members, mainly siblings, who have or have had anorexia nervosa.

The analysis is still being carried out 'because this is such a complex disease, a large number of families will be needed to understand the genetic basis'.

Dr Woodside said eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa are potentially lethal. They are characterised by the relentless pursuit of thinness and an obsessive fear of gaining weight.

The condition has been linked to traits such as perfectionism, anxiety and obsession.

'Singapore has done a lot to become a first-world country in a short time. To let a disorder like this affect its younger generation and its progress would be a shame,' he said. Understanding how the 'risk gene' contributes to the disorder will provide a better understanding of the condition to enable it to be treated, he added.