Actually, anorexia is not "about" control, or not wanting to grow up, or any of the other psychological hypotheses that have been put on this illness. It's a highly heritable illness with a strong neurobiological component. In other words, people with anorexia very likely have a strong family history of either eating disorders or anxiety disorders. Their brains are very likely wired differently from birth. The incredibly triggering environment we live in plays a role too. But people with anorexia don't starve themselves to gain control, even if it feels that way to them sometimes; they do it because they're wired in such a way that restricting makes them feel less anxious. That's how it usually starts, anyway. Comments like "When a young, developing girl feels that life is moving too quickly . . ." are just plain WRONG. There is NO scientific evidence to support this. Please be careful what you say. If you were one of my journalism students I would fail you for this story. --Harriet Brown, author, Brave Girl Eating: A Family's Struggle with Anorexia
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Actually, anorexia is not "about" control, or not wanting to grow up, or any of the other psychological hypotheses that have been put on this illness. It's a highly heritable illness with a strong neurobiological component. In other words, people with anorexia very likely have a strong family history of either eating disorders or anxiety disorders. Their brains are very likely wired differently from birth. The incredibly triggering environment we live in plays a role too. But people with anorexia don't starve themselves to gain control, even if it feels that way to them sometimes; they do it because they're wired in such a way that restricting makes them feel less anxious. That's how it usually starts, anyway. Comments like "When a young, developing girl feels that life is moving too quickly . . ." are just plain WRONG. There is NO scientific evidence to support this. Please be careful what you say. If you were one of my journalism students I would fail you for this story. --Harriet Brown, author, Brave Girl Eating: A Family's Struggle with Anorexia
October 15, 2011 - 8:21amThis Comment
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