Chapter 8 - Eating Disorders

Abstract

The chapter examines eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and eating disorders that do not meet strict diagnostic criteria, referred to as eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS) or atypical disorders. Siblings, because of differential environmental influences—such as peer relationships and birth order—may experience a parental divorce differently. Thus, a non-shared environment can include a family environment variable. Complex traits like eating disorders are understood to be influenced by many genes and many specific environmental factors. While a variety of psychopathologies are more likely to occur in people with eating disorders than people without eating disorders, such evidence is not sufficient to indicate the influence of a heritable temperament that produces vulnerability to eating disorders. Casual observation of the eating disorder literature would suggest that family environment is a major contributor to the development of eating disorders. Childhood adversities predictive of disordered eating include physical neglect, sexual abuse, low paternal affection, low paternal communication, and low paternal time spent with the child. Maladaptive paternal behavior was uniquely associated with risk for eating disorders in offsprings when controlling for maladaptive maternal behavior, childhood maltreatment, and other co-occurring childhood adversities.