Biological Explanations For Anorexia Nervosa

Question 1

Genetic Explanations - Family Studies

Answer 1

Research has shown that eating disorders such as AN run in families. First degree relatives of individuals with AN have approximately a ten times greater lifetime risk of having AN than relatives of unaffected individuals (Strober).
Research suggests there is an increased risk of developing other eating disorders in relatives of individuals diagnosed with AN, suggesting that people may inherit a more general vulnerability to eating disorders rather than AN specifically (Tozzi).

Question 2

Genetic Factors - Twin Studies

Answer 2

Comparing the similarity of MZ twins to DZ twins provides a measure of relative contributions