Anorexia’s devastating effects on the body are well-known and documented. Now, scientists have discovered that it affects the brain as well.
“A study published online this month in the International Journal of Eating Disorders compared changes in brain volume among 32 adult women with anorexia nervosa and a control group made up of 21 healthy women… At the beginning of the study, the women with anorexia had less gray matter volume than the healthy controls.” Source: LA Times]
The study used MRI scans to measure gray matter as the women with anorexia were treated and began gaining weight. Most saw an increase in gray matter volume as they gained weight, though the volume never reached levels considered normal for healthy adults.
Labels: anorexia, brain chemistry
Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton