ABSTRACT
Until recently, theories on the etiology of the eating disorders (EDs) emphasized psychosocial (e.g. sociocultural) factors. Although such factors are clearly of etiological relevance, several findings have highlighted the importance of genetic factors as well. Genetic findings from 2003 and 2004 were eloquently reviewed by Mazzeo et al. (2006) in the last edition of the Annual Review of Eating Disorders. These authors concluded that there are likely to be gender-and development-specific genetic risk factors for EDs that may contribute to the disorders’ characteristic epidemiological patterns (i.e. much more prevalent in females and after puberty). Moreover, although there were insufficient data to allow unequivocal labeling of any gene as a ‘risk’ gene, Mazzeo et al. (2006) noted that the studies provided preliminary evidence for the importance of serotonin and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes, and for incorporating
quantitative traits (e.g. eating disorder symptoms, levels of impulsivity, anxiety, etc.) into analyses.
