When people talk, or write, about the causes of eating disorders, many blame the media and the fashion industry. All those ultra-skinny models must be triggering eating disorders in our kids, right?
Well, some new research is calling that theory into question.
“Dr. [Walter] Kaye says traits that contribute to developing anorexia are genetic. ‘Heritability is a much more powerful influence than culture is,’ said Dr. Kaye. So, what’s the difference between an anorexic brain and a healthy one? In one study, participants were given a taste of sugar. In healthy people, the insula and frontal cortex areas of the brain lit up, signaling a ‘wow that tastes good!’ That pleasure light didn’t turn on in the anorexic’s brain.” [WLS-TV (Chicago)]
Studies like this one are helping doctors and counseling make important progress in not only understanding what triggers eating disorders, but understanding how better to treat them.
Labels: awareness, media, genetics
Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton