Is anorexia always a genetic disease?

Researchers have found a connection between relatives having the condition within the same family. However, genetics plays just one part in determining whether a person will develop the condition. There are a few external factors that determine whether or not a person will develop this condition. For one, culture plays a huge role in determining whether or not a person is at risk for developing this condition. In Western culture, media plays a huge role in influencing people (mostly women) to believe in unrealistic depictions of the human body, and this can exacerbate the condition itself.

In some Eastern cultures, control is a huge part of the cultural mapping and so it can play a role in exacerbating a condition in which the individual has great control in a society where they have to give up a lot of their own personal freedoms. Then, there are other conditions that often are present when this eating disorder is present. Mental conditions like depression, bipolar disorders, and other psychological issues can impact this eating disorder. One cannot say that genetics is always a reason a person develops the condition, especially when research links the condition to genetics and these other factors.