Choice of Diet

Anorexia nervosa, commonly known as anorexia, is an eating disorder that is associated with food litigation, fear of gaining weight, underweight, and a strong urge to continuously lose weight. On July 15th, 2019, The largest study for Anorexia Nervosa has taken place, examining around 17,000 patients that have been diagnosed with this disorder.  Findings suggest that chemical signals involving both the mentally and physically have confused the mind to behave in this manner, causing the individual to not choose a healthy diet.  Getting these results from one of the largest studies of anorexia yet, the disorder affects up to 2% of women and 0.3% of men. It has been a struggle trying to figure out how to dissect the disorder and treat it all in the same process.  Anorexia shares some of the same character traits as ODC, major depressive disorder and schizophrenia.
Anorexia, like any other mental disorder, should be as big of a priority as our physical and emotional health. That fact that this disorder shares "characteristic single-nucleotide polymorphisms" with other disorders that are affecting a huge percentage of mental health should be highlighted and brought to the attention of our children. Although psychiatrists have struggled to find solutions to 100% treat the people who have been diagnosed, I feel as though sharing what the issue is and helping others gain knowledge of how to treat the Patient in the real world should bring light to the fact that we want to help. I think by acknowledging people with this disorder as if they are the same as anybody else will help a little at least with the mental state.

Original Article: Roots of Anorexia

A Genetic Link to Anorexia

What is Anorexia?
Anorexia is an eating disorder that's chracterized by distored body image with an intense fear of being overweight. People with anorexia have a perception that their body is abnormal and must take every control on losing weight. Individuals with anorexia will take extreme ways such as, restrict the amount of food, less calorie intake, misusing laxatives, diet supplements or try to excercise excesssively. Anorexia can be very difficult to overcome, but with correct treatment you can return to healthier eating habits and gain a better lifestyle. Now, reasearchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) suspect the possible risks of anorexia is genetic oriented. Scientist, Lori Zelster used mice and had them on strict diet. They discovered that there is a correlation of feeding behavior between humans and mice. Peer pressure and social stress cause the mice to reduce their calorie-intake upto 20-30%. Researchers found that the BDNF gene is associated with anorexia along with enviromental and social factors. Moneek Madra concluded that, "In the end, we achieved a model that closely replicates the factors that elicit anorexic behavior in humans."

I found this finding to be very essential because peer pressure and body image is a problem that any individual can have. Adolscents and teenagers go through immense pressure and many changes in their lives, it is important for parents to help make positive choices for a better and a healthy lifestyle. Social media and our surroundings influences young kids to acheive the perfect body image.

Anorexia: genetic and environmental risk factors uncovered

Researchers suspected that anorexia is raised by the combination of genetic, biological, psychological and sociocultural variables. The team of scientists from Columbia University Medical Center, exposed the adolescent mice to one copy of the BDNF gene variant which is linked to anorexia and anxiety in both mice and humans. The mice with this gene when exposed in a group with controlled(normal) mice they were more likely to avoid eating than other mice. There was a difference in adult mice tho that even with the gene it did not affect them. Since this procedure was done with mice rather than humans, many researchers note that there is question to fully capture the real reason for anorexia. These researchers are trying to find new ways to investigate the signaling pathways in the brain that signal this behavior in hopes to find a therapeutic target. 

I found this article very interesting, as to how many diseases we think are socially can very be in us genetically. Many disorders and social traits that we think are from peer pressure, may just be a certain gene that is being triggered. Many diseases and problems go unnoticed or we are not able to treat them since we are still learning about our own bodies till this day. 

The Price of Beauty

The pressure and stress society deems someone as “beautiful” can be quite demanding; for some it may mean taking great risk to achieve that beauty. This risk is also the cause of one million suffering in Britain—either by starvation or suicide, this is known as anorexia disorder. We have seen forms of anorexia from models and demanding parents. However studies have shown that anorexia can be also inherited!

In reality, scientists showed there is not just one social cause that leads to anorexia. In fact, the main drive for this disorder could either be the fear of entering adulthood or of losing parents’ attention. What which gene is the cause for this disorder, compared to schizophrenia—this disorder did not caught enough attention to gene hunters.

 Now, Britain and America teamed up with the rest of the world in order to gather 25,000 DNA samples from those who are anorexic and compare it to the DNA of the unaffected controlled group. Scientists hope that this will allow them to pinpoint the genes and study their function in order to develop a treatment. However the finding cannot be replicated and the project is back at square one.

The scientists hope that if the finding was successful, it can help lessen the guilt to parents of the anorexic child. According to Professor Janet, Treasure director of the Eating Disorders Unit at Bethlem Royal Hospital, the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, that parents need to understand that anorexia is caused by both environment and genetics cause. This disorder tends to happen during adolescence, it is a natural response—but it is the emotional reactions that get children sick.

Anorexia happens to 1-2% of teenagers and college students, though it can happen at any age. People who have anorexia sees themselves fat even though they eat the bare minimum amount of food allowing them to survive. They tend to secretly starve themselves and vomit the food they ate. People who tend to have anorexia tend to be: perfectionist, anxious or depressed, and obsessive. This disorder usually happens to more females than males; more specifically the daughter of two professional couples.

The global project for finding the gene responsible for anorexia, led by Professor Cynthia Bulik, an expert in eating disorders at the University of North Carolina in the US, identified the genes to be, AN25k. It is likely as the project continues they find other genes contributing to the cause of this disease. Studies show that of the risk 56% anorexia is contributed by genetic factors. The researchers are now hoping they find one gene that linked the illness altogether so they can develop a treatment.

This article to me was a relief to read, in my high school days my health teacher has shown me some very disturbing pictures of anorexia—we even watched videos about them. I feel so bad for all the girls I've seen, I want to tell them they are beautiful already—that they are harming their body by not eating. This disorder causes so much pain to not only to those who have it, but also to family members as well. 

Article: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/features/the-genetics-of-anorexia-9778489.html

Related article: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2732887/UK-scientists-launch-hunt-anorexia-gene-Plea-1-000-volunteers-help-prove-health-victims-born-deadly-condition.html