Eating Disorders May Be Genetic Like Addiction
It is not altogether uncommon for a woman to come here for addiction treatment and exhibit signs of anorexia, bulmia, or compulsive overeating disorder.
Genetics combined with environmental factors have always been thought to play a role in the development of eating disorders. A new study confirms for the first time that genes do influence the development of eating disorders in girls much more than previously thought.
The study, published in the journal Psychological Medicine, found that a type of estrogen called estradiol can put girls at higher risk for developing anorexia, bulimia or binge eating disorder during puberty. All females have estradiol, which aids in the growth of reproductive organs and bones. Girls with higher levels of estradiol are more likely to develop the symptoms of an eating disorder than girls with lower levels of the estrogen.
“The reason we see an increase in genetic influences during puberty is that the genes for disordered eating are essentially getting switched on during that time,” Kelly Klump, an associate professor of psychology at Michigan State University, said in a June 4 article on ScienceDaily.com. “This research was trying to figure out why. What’s turning on the genes during puberty? And what we found is that increases in estradiol apparently are activating genetic risk for eating disorders.”
Though the research did not determine which genes are being turned on by estradiol, the study may be able to help prevent girls who have high levels of estradiol from developing an eating disorder.
Prevent Your Teen from Developing an Eating Disorder
Genes are not the only factor when it comes to the development of eating disorders in girls. Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder can also develop in girls who have a family history of eating disorders. Much of that is due to modeling by parents or siblings who have eating disorders.
Just like with alcoholism or drug addiction, If you have an eating disorder, there is an increased chance that your daughter (or son) will develop one as well. Your child may pick up your disordered eating habits or issues with body image and turn that into their own bad relationship with food. Getting treatment for an eating disorder can help both you and your children develop a healthy relationship with food.
If you don’t have an eating disorder, it doesn’t mean that your child isn’t at risk for developing one. Take these steps to help reduce the chances of your teen developing an eating disorder:
• Encourage a healthy relationship with food. Make sure your teens are getting a well-balanced diet while at the same time allowing them to eat the foods they want to eat. Teach them portion control and nutritional guidelines so that they never feel as though it is “bad” for them to be eating.
• Boost their self-esteem. A lot of times, eating disorders develop due to low self-esteem or a poor self-image. Make sure to instill confidence in your kids at a young age. Encourage them to participate in activities they enjoy, congratulate them when they do well and support them in their decisions.
• Foster healthy activity. Get your kids active and moving through sports, family outings or after-school activities. This will not only raise their levels of self-confidence, but it will encourage them to be healthy and take more notice of how food affects their body.
