[Biological factors in eating disorders]

Abstract

The etiology of eating disorders has not been defined yet. It is generally thought of as multi-dimensional, consisting of socio-cultural, psychological and biological factors. The biological factors include predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors. In recent years, genetics have been reported as predisposing factors, various neuropeptides which play an important role in regulation of feeding behavior have been discovered to be precipitating factors, and brain imaging studies investigating morphological changes have revealed perpetuating factors. This review gives an outline of recent information about biological factors in eating disorders.