Genes and/or jeans?: Genetic and socio-cultural contributions to risk for eating disorders

Abstract

Eating disorders are prevalent among young adult females and pose serious psychological and medical risks. Notwithstanding important advances, efforts to develop effective means of preventing and treating eating disorders have been limited by an incomplete understanding of their multifactorial etiology. Whereas epidemiologic data strongly suggest the influence of socio-cultural context in moderating risk, many hypotheses about how these effects are exerted have remained empirically unevaluated. Specifically, experimental and observational data suggest that social transition (e.g., transnational migration, urbanization, modernization), Western media exposure, and certain peer environments (involving social comparison and teasing) may all contribute to risk. With respect to genetic influences on etiology, family and twin studies have supported a genetic diathesis to eating disorders. Whereas, molecular genetic studies have generated interesting leads- with the most promising findings emerging for genes related to the function of serotonin-they have yet to identify well-replicated susceptibility loci. This paper reviews the data supporting both socio-cultural and genetic contributions for eating disorders and suggests productive future strategies for continuing to unravel their likely multiple and complex interactions.