Claire Vickery was not surprised when scientists announced that
eating disorders have a genetic link, because she and her two daughters
suffered from the illness.
Eating disorders specialist Professor Howard Steiger, of McGill University in Montreal, told a conference in Adelaide last week that new discoveries in epigenetics show mothers pass a genetic predisposition to eating disorders to their children.
''The science of epigenetics is relatively new,'' he said at the National Eating Disorders Collaboration National Workshop. ''Epigenetics helps explain how adverse development, stress, malnutrition and other influences can affect development of mental-health problems - including eating disorders.''
Ms Vickery, 56, said she had bulimia from the ages of 16 to 29. ''I'm sure I'm carrying the gene.''
However, the president of the Australian and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders,
Dr Anthea Fursland, said that genes alone would not result in a child developing an eating disorder. ''Genetic influences do play a part but they will not cause an eating disorder on their own,'' she said. ''Eating disorders arise as result of a combination of factors but the common factor in every case is dieting.'' Ms Vickery's two daughters, Anna and Laura, both had eating disorders when they were younger. They have all recovered but Ms Vickery's experience led her to set up the Butterfly Foundation, which encourages prevention, treatment and support of those affected by eating disorders.
Professor Steiger said epigenetics would play a large role in understanding eating disorders. ''If eating disorders are about anything, they're about the ways in which environments switch on hereditary vulnerabilities,'' he said.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/passing-on-an-eating-disorder-20120825-24t42.html#ixzz24k4TCwts
Eating disorders specialist Professor Howard Steiger, of McGill University in Montreal, told a conference in Adelaide last week that new discoveries in epigenetics show mothers pass a genetic predisposition to eating disorders to their children.
''The science of epigenetics is relatively new,'' he said at the National Eating Disorders Collaboration National Workshop. ''Epigenetics helps explain how adverse development, stress, malnutrition and other influences can affect development of mental-health problems - including eating disorders.''
Ms Vickery, 56, said she had bulimia from the ages of 16 to 29. ''I'm sure I'm carrying the gene.''
However, the president of the Australian and New Zealand Academy for Eating Disorders,
Dr Anthea Fursland, said that genes alone would not result in a child developing an eating disorder. ''Genetic influences do play a part but they will not cause an eating disorder on their own,'' she said. ''Eating disorders arise as result of a combination of factors but the common factor in every case is dieting.'' Ms Vickery's two daughters, Anna and Laura, both had eating disorders when they were younger. They have all recovered but Ms Vickery's experience led her to set up the Butterfly Foundation, which encourages prevention, treatment and support of those affected by eating disorders.
Professor Steiger said epigenetics would play a large role in understanding eating disorders. ''If eating disorders are about anything, they're about the ways in which environments switch on hereditary vulnerabilities,'' he said.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/passing-on-an-eating-disorder-20120825-24t42.html#ixzz24k4TCwts
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