Refusal to eat may have biological roots in patients with Anorexia Nervosa

Why do those with Anorexia feel repulsed by food and refuse to eat?  Doesn’t food always satisfy hunger, or for some, does it bring discomfort?  Researchers at the University of Southern California San Diego believe there may be biological factors at work.

In a recent study, researchers tested the effects on the brain when those who had Anorexia were given a drug that induces dopamine.  Dopamine is a chemical released in our brains when we experience pleasure, like eating foods we enjoy.  When the control group (women without Anorexia) were given the drug, their response was one of feeling pleasure, predictably.  However, in the group who had Anorexia, administration of the drug was associated with feelings of anxiety.

According to the author of the study, Walter Kaye, MD, “It’s possible that when people with anorexia nervosa eat, the related release of the neurotransmitter dopamine makes them anxious, rather than experiencing a normal feeling of reward.  It is understandable why it is so difficult to get people with anorexia nervosa to eat and gain weight, because food generates intensely uncomfortable feelings of anxiety.”

Researchers are still trying to determine whether this observed response of anxiety is a result of Anorexia or a genetic trait.  Those who were fully recovered from eating disorder behaviors still felt anxious.  This may mean their response was a heritable trait.

Source: UCSD Health System