Highlights
Genetic Factors
Many experts believe that tendencies towards bulimia and anorexia are inherited. Researchers are working on identifying the specific genes responsible for these eating disorders. In 2005, researchers identified six key traits that may be linked to genes associated with bulimia and anorexia. They are:
- Minimum body mass index (BMI)
- Extreme concern over mistakes
- Age when a girl first starts to menstruate
- Food-related obsessions
- Obsessionality (a form of perfectionism)
- Anxiety
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The researchers found that obsessionality and anxiety were more associated with anorexia, while the other traits were more common among people with bulimia.
Brain Chemicals
- Serotonin imbalances may be associated with anorexia, according to a 2005 study in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Serotonin is a brain chemical that plays a role in anxiety disorders and obsessive behaviors. Many patients with anorexia also have these two conditions.
- Dopamine, a brain chemical that controls pleasure-seeking behavior, may be linked to anorexia. In 2005, researchers reported that overactivity in the brain’s dopamine receptors could explain why people with anorexia do not get as much pleasure from food as people without eating disorders.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
- Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is a psychological disorder that causes people to imagine that their bodies are deformed. According to a 2005 study, BDD affects 7 – 15% of patients who seek cosmetic surgery services.
- Patients with BDD are at greater risk for suicidal thinking and behavior. In a study of 200 patients with BDD, 78% obsessively thought about suicide, and 28% had attempted suicide.
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