Letters to the Editor
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genetics and treatment
I dont see why anorexia having a genetic basis means you can't treat it.
Depression has a genetic basis, and we treat that. Many mental illnesses are rooted in a combination of predisposed traits and environmental factors, and they are all 'treatable'. If something is environment caused, it is best to approach it through therapy, whereas physologically rooted illnesses are best treated through chemical means (drugs).
Like I said, since many mental illnesses are both physological and environment based, they involve a combo of therapy and drugs (where there are drugs available to treat it).
Just because some people are predisposed to anorexia doesn't mean we should throw up our hands and say there's nothing that can be done for them. The first step is to create an environment where their predisposition is less likely to manifest itself, the second step is recognising that certain people may need extra attention to stop them falling into a destructive pattern.
Anorexia is treatable, if the person who suffers from it WANTS treatment. If they do not, or cannot see that they have a problem, the chances that treatment will work are a lot slimmer.