Abonormal Brain Circuitry may Cause Anorexia

What? Could this be the evidence we need to increase understanding that people don't choose to have eating disorders and can't just stop? The online journal, Nature Reviews Neuroscience published this latest find which may give more understanding to why people develop anorexia and it's behaviors.

Thanks to Dr. Walter Kaye and his colleagues at UCSD and the research they have done at the Eating Disorders Program we have another insight into this deadly disease. As any family who has lived with this frightening disease knows; anorexia has the highest death rate of any psychiatric condition. It's hard to believe but there still are few effective treatments for anorexia. This research suggests that people with anorexia have an imbalance in brain circuitry that regulates emotions and rewards. Hopefully this will give insights for those who are challenged in experiencing pleasure, worry a lot and tend to be perfectionists.

Let's hope that this will give us some more effective treatments for anorexia! So good to see more and more research happening for all of these disorders that are not only deadly but also destroy families.

Read more about the research on this area of the brain called the anterior insula and the role it plays in how people are aware of their internal body signals. www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

Also, don't forget that all are welcome to the NEDA Conference in Minneapolis, MN in September. Check that out too on the website www.nationaleatingdisoders.org I'm on the host committee and look forward to meeting you and sharing secrets to our fun cities.

Research May Help Understanding Biological Basis of Eating Disorders

As I'm completing the book for families - check out the website for new chapters being added regularly - I'm excited to see new research that might help promote more understanding of the biological basis of eating disorders.

Exciting news from John's Hopkins University School of Medicine with research into changes in brain receptors with certain foods. These research results have implications for understanding bulimia and other binge eating disorders (BED). I'm so excited to hear this as there seems to be so little research on these two eating disorders in general and it seems we hear more about anorexia even though bulimia and BED are much more common.

Check out the article to learn more about the findings on the opioid receptor levels: http://www.genengnews.com/news/bnitem.aspx?name=59035065

Also, don't forget to sign up for the NEDA Conference in September here in Minneapolis! www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

Enjoy your summer!

Media Exposure

Check out Cheryl Dellasega's blog at Everything Ophelia (http://everythingophelia.blogspot.com/2009/06/role-models-three-sisters-use-their.html). Just read her great post about the Three Sister's band that is doing great things in the world. The part I'm most excited about is the media exposure. They are trying to make a difference in what young kids see that can lead them to have poor body image, which we know can lead to eating disorders.

I'm really busy finishing the book for families, just finished Kitty Westin's chapter. As soon as the preliminary editing is done I'll add that to the list of chapters that can be purchased on my website. I hope you are finding those chapters helpful to you as you navigate your family through an eating disorder.

Enjoy the band Three Sisters too!