Candidate Genes in Eating Disorders

Environmental influences, as well as biological and genetic factors influence risk for eating disorders. Family and twin studies have shown that eating disorders are familial and suggest the influence of genetic factors on their etiology. Positive associations have been observed for some candidate genes that have been studied (such as 5HT2A receptor gene), however, the field has been plagued by nonreplications. In this paper we review the extant association studies of eating disorders.