'Twenty laxatives a day': Could family be the key to anorexia?
A ground-breaking study which aims to find a genetic root for a devastating eating disorder could pave the way to a cure, researchers claim.
The Anorexia Nervosa Genetic Initiative has put out a call for Australians who have suffered, or who are currently suffering, from the disorder to come forward and take part in what it says is the largest study the world has ever seen into the problem.
The initiative hopes to collect blood samples from more than 13,000 people world wide in the hope of identifying genetic markers which could show hereditary links.
Professor Cynthia Bulik told the Daily Mail Australia new research had already shown anorexia nervous to have family links, with sufferers having four times more relatives with the disorder than those who have never had it.
“We have been doing family and twin studies so we know anorexia runs in families and we know it is inheritable,” she said.
“The next logical step is to find out who is predisposed to the illness by identifying those genetic markers.”
About 53,000 Australian men and women have been affected by the eating disorder, which leads people to lose a dramatic amount of weight, threatening their health and eventually their lives.
The ANGI estimates about one in four young Australian girls will suffer the illness while serious forms also affect older people, especially women experiencing menopause.
One sufferer who spoke to the Daily Mail Australia said she had once eaten as many as 20 laxatives per day as her weight plummeted to 30 kilograms. She said a comment from her grandmother sparked her decline.
"'There was a point where I had started to go through puberty at about 15 - and I think all girls go through this puffy fat stage - I was never overweight, but there was a photo taken of me in my bikini during the summer holidays and a few weeks later she [my grandmother] sent a letter in the mail saying she would no longer include me in the family photo album because the pictures were no longer a true reflection of me," Kate Hormann said.
"I was utterly gutted, ashamed and heartbroken."
Ms Horman, now a successful lawyer and blogger, said she planned to take part in the study.
According to Professor Bulik, the underlying causes of anorexia nervosa have been misunderstood for years but while she believes genetic factors play a major role, environmental pressures can also contribute.
“I try to get people to think about it like this - genes are the loaded gun but environment is the one pulling the trigger,” she told the Daily Mail.
“So, if someone who is predisposed to anorexia nervosa goes on a diet because of sociocultural reasons, that could then unlock the predisposition to the disease resulting in an eating disorder.”
The researchers have today launched a recruitment drive in Sydney which aims to get more Australians to contribute their blood to the study.
Among them will be Mary, 40, who wrote on ANGI’s blog that she had suffered anorexia nervosa since she was 13-years-old.
While skeptical about a genetic link, she said she nonetheless joined the push without hesitation.
“I’m a strong believer in science. If evidence exists, I won’t dispute it,” Mary said.
“I also enrolled in the ANGI study because I don’t want my illness to have been in vain.
“I want to contribute to this research, and because I have lived with anorexia nervosa for so long, I consider
“In my experience, just about everyone living with anorexia nervosa is a high-achieving perfectionist. I believe that’s where genes may play a role.
“And whatever gene is responsible for the perfectionistic personality type, may also play a role in anorexia nervosa when combined with trauma and/or other complex factors.”
