Promoting and maintaining a better gut microbial balance may help to protect against symptoms of anorexia in those with the eating disorder. Read More
People with eating disorders are up to twelve times more likely to experience body dysmorphia than those without a history of eating disorders. 76% of those with eating disorders report suffering from body dysmorphia, a new study reveals. Read More
Study reveals how eating disorders in some women are inextricably linked to their culture and upbringing. Read More
Those with body dysmorphic disorder and anorexia have abnormalities in activity and connectivity in visual and parietal brain networks. People with anorexia and body dysmorphia process images with high, low, or normal levels of detail. The abnormalities for low level of detail have the most direct relationship with disorder symptom severity and body perception. Read More
Children with autistic traits at age seven were 24% more likely to develop weekly eating disorders, including fasting, purging, and binge eating, by age 14. Read More
Hunger fails to activate food reward circuits in people with anorexia. Read More
The largest genetic map of mental health disorders to date reveals there are three groups of highly genetically related disorders among eight psychiatric disorders. A gene related to nervous system development is a risk factor for all eight disorders studied. The RBFOX1 gene is implicated in seven of the eight disorders. ADHD and depression share 44% of genetic risk factors common in the general population. 109 pleiotropic loci affect more than one disorder. These pleiotropic loci are within genes that show heightened expression in the brain through the lifespan, beginning during the second trimester of pregnancy. Read More
The root of eating disorders are not necessarily a result of weight management, but a way to help manage negative emotions, researchers report. Read More
Exercise addiction is almost four times as common in those with eating disorders. Read More
While there is a clear genetic link between young mothers and ADHD in their children, the association is not necessarily causal. Read More
No association was found between oral contraceptive use and depressive symptom severity in females aged 16 to 25. However, 16-year-olds who take the pill reported higher depressive symptom severity than their peers who did not use oral birth control. Read More
The findings of three new studies reveal only 50% of those with eating disorders seek help for their condition. Certain demographics are less likely to seek help. Those with eating disorders have a 5-6 times higher risk of suicide attempts. Read More