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Religiosity does not increase the risk of anorexia nervosa

Religiosity does not increase the risk of anorexia nervosa

Religiosity has been associated with various forms of fasting and self-starvation for thousands of years. Many believe that extreme religiosity can be a risk factor of anorexia nervosa. However, a recent population study conducted in Finland showed that religiosity does not increase the risk of anorexia nervosa. “Many medieval saints fasted themselves to death. The […]

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Women with celiac disease twice as likely to develop anorexia

Women with celiac disease twice as likely to develop anorexia

Celiac disease is a rare digestive disorder and anorexia nervosa is a chronic eating disorder. These conditions have similar symptoms, and both are particularly common among adolescents. New research examines the link between the diagnoses for these two conditions in young women. New research suggests that receiving a diagnosis of celiac disease may drastically increase […]

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Researchers create model of anorexia nervosa using stem cells

Researchers create model of anorexia nervosa using stem cells

An international research team, led by scientists at University of California San Diego School of Medicine, has created the first cellular model of anorexia nervosa (AN), reprogramming induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from adolescent females with the eating disorder. Writing in Translational Psychiatry, the scientists said the resulting AN neurons – the disease in […]

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Even after treatment, brains of anorexia nervosa patients not fully recovered

Even after treatment, brains of anorexia nervosa patients not fully recovered

Even after weeks of treatment and considerable weight gain, the brains of adolescent patients with anorexia nervosa remain altered, putting them at risk for possible relapse, according to researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. The study, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, examined 21 female adolescents before and after treatment for […]

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Anorexia: Deep brain stimulation may be an effective treatment

Anorexia: Deep brain stimulation may be an effective treatment

Anorexia can cause severe health issues, and the illness can sometimes be fatal. New research suggests a surgical technique can stimulate the patient’s brain into improving their mental health and overall well-being. New research suggests a brain technique called ‘deep brain stimulation’ may prove effective in treating anorexia. Anorexia is an eating disorder that makes […]

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Study points to treatment strategy for anorexia

Study points to treatment strategy for anorexia

New research conducted in adolescent rodents provides insights on the mechanisms behind anorexia nervosa and points to a potential treatment strategy. In experiments involving food restriction and/or exercise, investigators found that the extent to which certain receptors are expressed in neurons in a particular region of the brain can influence whether an adolescent female rat […]

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Study addresses extreme thinness standards in fashion industry

Study addresses extreme thinness standards in fashion industry

In a recent study, female fashion models reported high levels of pressure to lose weight, which was associated with higher odds of engaging in unhealthy behaviors to control weight. The study is the largest to date to explore disordered eating among professional models, and in particular to examine rates of specific unhealthy weight control behaviors. […]

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Bulimia symptoms reduced with electrical brain stimulation

Bulimia symptoms reduced with electrical brain stimulation

King’s College London researchers have discovered that core bulimia nervosa symptoms such as binge eating and restricting food intake are reduced by delivering noninvasive electrical stimulation to certain areas of the brain. This therapy may prove beneficial for the 1-2 percent of women in the United States who experience bulimia during their lifetime. King’s College […]