Researchers identify six traits linked to eating disorders

An international team of researchers claim to have identified six core traits possibly linked to genes associated with the eating disorders anorexia and bulimia nervosa.The research team from the Eating Disorders Program at the University of North Carolina's School of Medicine defines the six core traits as:

* Obsessionality - a form of perfectionism
* age at menarche (start of menstruation)
* anxiety
* lifetime minimum body mass index (BMI)
* concern over mistakes
* food-related obsessions

They also found that individuals with a mother or sister affected by an eating disorder are 12 times more likely to develop a similar disorder themselves, compared to individuals with no such history.