Prenatal brain development may predispose kids to eating disorders
The way the brain forms in the womb may explain why some people wind up with eating disorders such as anorexia. British scientists say that screening children as young as eight years old may help identify those most vulnerable to the “size zero fad” and the celebrity thin craze. Of the 200 anorexic women studied, 70 per cent had damaged neurotransmitters, which had changed their brain structure slightly. The findings are especially profound because they show that an abnormally wired brain affects weight, rather than the popular belief that being underweight affects the brain negatively. What’s more, the research is surprising because it indicates that brain wiring may be more responsible for anorexia than environmental factors or poor parenting.