How do you empathize with an individual who seems to purposefully be doing harm to their body, as appears to be the case in eating disorders? Well first of all, people need to realize that eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), are disorders that are attributable to an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain, not just selfish acts of wanting to be thing. For many, this imbalance leads to a type of body dysmorphia disorder, as is showcased on the featured photo of this blog post. This harsh reality for those who suffer from AN or BN is a mystery many researchers continue to pursue everyday in order to one day fully understand the complexity behind these disorders.
How do you encourage someone to change their eating style and life habits if what they see in the mirror is not reality?
Educate. Educate. Educate.
It all starts with education, and debunking the stigma and negative assumptions often associated with those who are so unfortunate to go through an eating disorder.
The reality of eating disorders is they are in fact mental disorders. And if it takes decades longer to understand that mental disorders do exist, even though they cannot be “physically” seen, fine. We have made strides, but in the meantime, these conversations must happen and frequently, for they are what will bring about a changed societal mindset.
So let’s get started!
Focusing specifically on BN, serotonin, a main inhibitory neurotransmitter, has been discovered to be attributable to the disruption within the brains of those with BN. Serotonin plays a role in the activation of emotions, sex, eating and sleep within the basal forebrain, frontal cortex, limbic cortex and hypothalamus (as can be seen in the picture below).
However, in BN patients, there appears to be less serotonin. There also appears to be less serotonin transporters, which can lead to too much or too little brain arousal. Research has discovered that the transporters and receptors of serotonin appear to not be functioning properly. This is often seen at the behavioral level, as symptoms of BN can often be associated with anxiety and mood disturbances.
The binge-purge cycle characterized in BN has been thought to be either positively reinforcing for the individual or negatively reinforcing, dependent on the individual’s personality. If their personality is more anxious and/or obsessive, overeating (binging) gives them a sense of comfort, but then their realization of their binge episode causes anxiety again, forcing them to compensate for their binging by purging.
It is almost as though these behaviors start out as impulsive, but then BECOME impulsive…
But why is it then that eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa, are three times more likely to affect women than men? There are many factors that probably attribute to this known fact, but let’s focus on two.
Estrogens
and
Societal Expectations
Estrogens
Estrogen is involved in the neuronal systems related to feeding, as well as impulsivity and compulsivity, a reason why many researchers are assuming its involvement with eating disorders is so prevalent in women. Estrogen has shown to interact with serotonin, influencing serotonergic neuronal firing. This may relate to BN, as there appears to be an increased serotonin system activation, which may lead to heightened anxiety and fear conditions in individuals with BN.
But even with all of this information, I think there is still one LARGE piece of the puzzle we have not discussed yet…
Societal Expectations
The standards that society has set for women are quite literally unattainable. Many advertisement companies, such as Dove, are now promoting beauty for all women, showing how our perceptions in the media are simply computer generated. As can be seen below, the woman they have model doesn’t even look like the final product…
But what is to be done about this? I think Dove has the right idea…
Continue To Educate!
Our society must be educated on the realities of eating disorders, both at the physiological level, as well as the national social media level. Doing so will decrease the likelihood of a “perfect storm” to occur, where those who are more susceptible to an eating disorder won’t feel the societal pressure to change. By doing so, these unattainable ideals society holds for all people, not just women, will become a thing of the past.
A Vicious Cycle of Unattainable Ideals
