The images are everywhere: Beautiful, razor-thin models smile up from the pages of magazines, parade across television screens, and pose on millions of Internet pages. It's no wonder that young, impressionable children develop an eating disorder in a quest to stay svelte like their favorite stars. But is there more behind the genesis of these mental illnesses? New research suggests that there is a strong genetic factor in the obsessive drive to stay thin.
CNN Health reports on a study recently published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders. Researchers looked at both identical and fraternal female twins, aged 12 to 22 years. Each participant answered a series of questions about body image, and the degree to which they wanted to look like certain famous people. The study authors also looked at environmental factors that were the same for both twins (such as parents and upbringing) as well as different factors (like groups of friends and hobbies).
Results showed that identical twins were much more likely to show similar scores on test questions than fraternal twins, even when all environmental factors were considered. Identical twins share 100 percent of their genes while fraternal twins only share half of their genetic makeup. So these results show that a person's DNA is likely to influence their body image.
While this study doesn't point to specific genes that might be involved in developing eating disorders, it does offer evidence that both nature and nurture may play a role.
I have struggled with eating disorder and body image issues all my life. My troubles began when I was very young, probably nine or ten years old. I still carry both physical and emotional scars from the years when things were at their worst. It's hard sometimes to talk about the feelings of isolation, perfectionism, obsession, and self-deprecation that accompany an eating disorder. The old struggles still pester me even as a thirtysomething wife and mother.
I always suspected that my genes were at least partly to blame — after all, our DNA is the basis for just about everything! It's interesting to see solid evidence supporting that. My issues are not just the result of media brainwashing.
But then my heart sinks. My poor kids have a double dose of "thin genes" because both my immediate family and my husband's family have multiple cases of eating problems and body image issues. Can't do much about the nature of their DNA. I guess all I can do is try to nurture the development of their self-esteem and stay vigilant for signs of budding problems.
Do you or your kids struggle with an eating disorder? How and when did it start? Share your experience in the comments section below.
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