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Updated: Aug 23, 2026

A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
Published on: May 10, 2022
Contemporary thinking about the role of genes and environment in eating disorders
Cynthia M Bulik1, Federica Tozzi
1Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7160, USA. cbulik@med.unc.edu
Objective:
To review recent literature documenting how family, twin and molecular genetic studies of eating disorders have revolutionized our conceptualizations of anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
Methods:
We summarized extant literature on genetic epidemiology of eating disorders.
Results:
Results of extant studies highlight the underlying biological vulnerabilities associated with these conditions. Genetic research has also opened up new avenues and approaches for exploring how the environment exerts its influence on risk.
Conclusions:
We discuss state-of-the-science findings in the genetics of eating disorders, explore various mechanisms of gene-environment interplay, and discuss implications of this research for science, practice, families and individuals with eating disorders.
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