Eating disorder portion of the vulnerability to develop eating disorders can be inherited, and there is evidence to show that there is a genetic locus that shows susceptibility for developing anorexia nervosa. About 60% of eating disorder cases are attributable to biological and genetic components. Other cases are due to external reasons or developmental problems. There are also other neurobiological factors at play tied to emotional reactivity and impulsivity that could lead to binging and purging behaviors. Epigenetics: Epigenetic mechanisms are means by which environmental effects alter gene expression via methods such as DNA methylation; these are independent of and do not
Eating Disorder Inventory for use in a clinical setting to assess the presence of an eating disorder. Due to high comorbity associated with eating disorders it is generally used in conjunction with other psychological tests such as the Beck Depression Inventory. Depression has been shown to yield higher scores on the EDI-3. The Eating disorder inventory (EDI) comprises 64 questions, divided into eight subscales. Each question is on a 6-point scale (ranging from 'always' to 'never'), rated 0-3. The score for each sub-scale is then summed. The 8 subscale scores on the EDI are:<br> 1. Drive for thinness (DT): An excessive concern with