Continuing the march toward understanding eating disorders causes, two organizations are holding a conference to further their views that these disorders have genetic roots and are "brain illnesses" similar to mood disorders like depression. Timberline Knolls, a treatment center in Chicago, has teamed with the Multi-service Eating Disorders Association in this endeavor.

It's been suggested that this is a "controversial" approach in some circles. I suppose that some would question the influence of biology on eating problems, but I think that there's a persistent thread indicating that many "mental illnesses" have physical components, and vice versa.

It seems reasonable that biological causes and psychosocial causes (like family issues) may work together. There is no set of family dynamics of which we know that always results in an eating disorder in a son or daughter. It may be that family issues (and many other potential triggers) simply activate a disorder made possible by a person's genetics.

• More on the conference (Walthan, Massachusetts)
• What do we know about eating disorder causes?
• Particular triggers that may touch off disordered eating