Eating disorders are hereditary

A research done in the University of Pittsburgh reveals that heredity has a central role in the trigger of bulimia and eating disorders. Michael Strober, supervisor of the research explains that "the genetic influences play an important role in determining the susceptibility to get the illness".

During the research the families of 323 women between 18 and 28 who had any type of eating disorder were analyzed, to compare with other group of 181 healthy women, so it was found that bulimia was four times more frequent among the relatives of the first group. And the number multiplies eleven times when it was about anorexia.

These disorders of the eating habits present themselves generally in adolescents who usually self restrict themselves, who are perfectionists, and have been outstanding for their intellectual development and high scholar indexes, these girls in the moment they have any inconvenient trigger injuries in their self esteem, injuries that they try to heal improving their physical image.

It was concluded that genes have a lot to do, but the familiar context has a very important influence in the disorders of the eating behavior. In an initial stage the nutritional recuperation is required, then reeducation of the eating behavior, giving healthy habits and finally a cognitive-behavioral treatment is essential.