Hypothalamus: The Cause Of Eating Disorders

Samantha Callahan, Department of Psychology, Lindenwood University; Danielle Patrick, Department of Psychology, Lindenwood University; Sara Roderick, Department of Psychology, Lindenwood University; Kahla Stygar, Department of Psychology, Lindenwood University.

There are many different psychological illnesses in the world, each with different causes. While eating is an key function of life, some people may be doing harm to their body with their eating habits. Eating disorders occur when a person has a bad relationship with food and can be deadly. The book Elena Vanishing, by Elena Dunkle and Clare B. Dunkle, gives a better understanding of the background of eating disorders and many reviewers are impacted by the book’s vital message.

Eating disorder is the abnormal eating behavior that would negatively impact one’s health, emotions and ability to function in important areas of life. Eating disorders include several categories: binge eating disorder, which means people eat large amount in a short period, anorexia nervosa which people eat very little, bulimia nervosa which people eat a lot and then try to rid themselves of food, pica which people eat non-food items, rumination disorder means people regurgitate food, avoidant food intake means that people have a lack of interest in food, and other specified eating disorders (ANAD). There is believed to be no single cause for eating disorders, as all the biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors contribute to this illness. Studies have shown that specific chromosomes may be associated with bulimia and anorexia (NY times). Eating disorders may also be caused by imbalance of serotonin and dopamine which explain why people who have anorexia

Keeping in mind that she has always strove for perfection, some irrational thoughts and psychological symptoms have developed concerning her standards for both food consumption and weight. These irrational fears have led her to believe that food is bad, and since she is terribly scared of getting fat, she finds fulfillment by abiding by her restrictive diet and maintaining her abnormal weight by restricting food and using laxatives when necessary to avoid weight gain. It’s easy to see that Joan has developed an obsession with both food and her weight that has taken over her life. All of these psychological symptoms have also caused some social symptoms which have negatively impacted her relationships, mainly stemming from concern of friends and family which usually result in arguments about eating. Joan’s physiological systems are also reflecting concerning symptoms such as dry, inelastic skin, liver problems, unhealthy hair, dizziness, amenorrhea, and of course, excessive

Diagnosing potential Anorexia nervosa is not always easy, and Alicia’s case, based on information given and her representation, is not clear cut. Researchers argue that the diagnosis has to be done carefully and potential ambiguities have to be resolved (Baer & Blais, 2010). For example, some researchers have argued that one criterion, such as a fear of being fat, can decrease significantly when the person actually loses some weight (Surgenor & Maguire, 2013). For reasons like this, selecting the primary question, namely whether or not the patient has Anorexia

Eating disorders affect millions of men and women every day. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are three main types of eating disorders that can have detrimental consequences on the human body. These eating disorders not only deteriorate one’s body, but also eradicate the mind. “Inherent to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are a plethora of medical complications which correlate with the severity of weight loss or the frequency and mode of purging” (Mehler, 2015).

We know that eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior and extreme concern about body size or weight. We also know that eating disorders can be life-threatening if treatment is not provided or is not effective. But we do not completely understand what causes eating disorders. Generally, scientists believe they arise from a complex interaction of genetic, psychological, and sociocultural factors (Smolin and Mary Grosvenor, 42).

Eating disorders are extremely serious and often even fatal. They are tremendously trying on both the person with the disorder, and those who are close to them. I remember the time that my roommate and I were watching TV with a group of girls when one of the girls started commenting on how fat a certain actress had become, and how gross she looked. I saw the look on my roommate’s face when she heard this girl criticize this actress who still looked practically perfect. More than anything, the weight this actress had put on made her look healthier than she had before. I became quite concerned though when I noticed that my roommate ate nothing for the next three days, and the one meal she did eat I am certain she threw up soon after. My roommate, like many other girls, was trying to achieve an unattainable goal. Some girls will just never be so thin, and struggling to be is very dangerous.

It appears that most people with eating disorders have some level of underlying pathology. This pathology looks like either anxiety or depression. This is good news to a clinician. We are able to effectively treat anxiety and depression very well. If eating disorders are caused by some underlying anxiety or depression then logic would dictate that it is a symptom of anxiety or depression, rather than a unique

Ghrelin, commonly referred to as the “hunger hormone,” is a 28-amino acid peptide that has many important roles in human digestion including regulation of growth hormone release, enhancement of appetite, and increase of food intake (1). This gut-derived peptide could play an extremely important role in the altered eating behaviors of patients with eating disorders. Increased fasting plasma ghrelin levels have been consistently reported in underweight patients with anorexia nervosa. Circulating levels of this hormone have also been found to be enhanced in symptomatic bulimic patients, while also being blunted in response to balanced meals (4).

Andrea appears to have a binge eating disorder(BED). It was indicated that Andrea had uncontrollable eating binges and had gained over 50 pounds in six months. Andrea got in frequent arguments with her mother as a child about her excessive eating and weight. Andrea also was called a “fatty” by her school mates in early elementary school. According to Bulik, Trace, Kleiman, and Mazzeo, (2014), BED is marked by recurrent binge eating (at least weekly for 3 months, as in BN) and a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode, but in the absence of regular compensatory behaviors. To meet criteria, an individual must experience distress regarding the binge eating and at least three of the following: eating much more rapidly than normal,

There are many different biological approaches that explain the reasons for eating disorders they all have some validity behind them to a certain extent. An eating disorder is a psychological dysfunction that causes a person to change their eating habits to eating less, or more etc.

Eating disorders stem from a combination of psychological, biological, and social factors. Feelings of depression and anxiety along with daily stressors can contribute to

There are multiple ways to be guided to an eating disorder other than the media. “Eating behavior is a complex process controlled by the neuroendocrine system of which the Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis (HPA axis) is a major component” (News Medical). Psychological research is very important to patients who have an eating disorder. Throughout the research in the paper, researchers have come to a conclusion that some of the qualities in the brain a person has a certain level

Eating Disorder Case Study Mother is concerned that daughter is not eating enough, restricting food intake for 8 months because she feels fat, feels she needs to lose ten pounds, feels that her thighs and stomach are to large, reporting 35 lb weight loss over last 8 months, denies any eating problems, began menarche at age 16 periods normally regular, stop three months ago, exercises daily 20 min. to 2 hours, experiences low energy, chronic constipation and lightheadedness, favorite TV show is “America’s Next Top Model” and reports “feeling down in the dumps” for about nine months, college student, good grades, finding it difficult to concentrate, admits to feeling worthless and having no