Research provides clue to eating disorders

A study into eating disorders has revealed that women may be more at risk of developing anorexia and bulimia, because of the way their brain processes information.

Scientists at Japan's Hiroshima University have discovered that the female brain responds differently when compared to a male when exposed to certain words connected with body image.

The new findings, which have been published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, may help to explain why ten times as many women as men develop eating disorders.

Eating disorders are a serious problem in the UK, with at least 165,000 estimated sufferers, 90% of whom are women.

The latest study involved exposing 13 men and 13 women to a series of tests, in which they were asked to read two sets of words – one set consisting of unpleasant words than described body image and another that was made up of neutral words. Each person was asked to rate the words in terms of how pleasant or unpleasant they were, while, at the same time, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to measure which parts of the brain became active while the experiment took place.

The scientists discovered that the unpleasant words stimulated a part of the brain known as the amygdala, which is believed to become active when a person feels threatened, in the women. However this part of the brain showed little activity in the men taking part in the experiment. Instead, they used a part of the brain called the medial prefrontal cortex, which is usually associated with rationalising information.

The researchers suggested that this meant that men did not process unpleasant words concerning body image as fearful information, instead processing them more cognitively, while women processed them more emotionally.

British experts have welcomed the research, saying that it could help to lead to a better understanding of how eating disorders develop.

(KmcA/SP)