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Lynne Lamberg

JAMA. 2003;290:1437-1442.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

While many individuals try to shed pounds, relatively few develop the eating disorders anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). The reason why some cross the line between dieting and disorder, scientists are finding, may be rooted in these individuals' genetic makeup.

Genetic risk factors make a major contribution to a vulnerability to these eating disorders, explains Walter Kaye, MD, a psychiatrist at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. At the same time, psychosocial and environmental factors prove less influential than once thought. AN and BN have a heritability of 50% to 80%, Kaye said, similar to that of other major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Researchers studying eating problems are learning that genetic risk factors make a major contribution to an individual's vulnerability to developing an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. (Photo credit: Getty Images)

Kaye and others . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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