Anorexia is more than body image and food intake: Study shows anxiety is at the core of its roots

Anorexia is a very serious eating disorder. It includes distorted body image and the fear of gaining weight, which in turn, leads to reduced food intake. People suffering from this eating disorder perceive their bodies as overweight despite the fact they are severely underweight.

A study published in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging examined how individuals with anorexia process external emotions and how they perceive emotional expressions in others. The findings reveal that they react more strongly to fearful faces. Let’s see what this means.



ALSO READ: Young people leave it too late to seek help for eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia Anxiety's influence on anorexia The study evaluated how individuals with anorexia process emotions. The researchers examined the neural activity of 22 young girls with anorexia, post their weight recovery, and how they responded to different emotional expressions. They were shown different pictures of faces depicting fear, anger, and surprise.

The findings were noteworthy as the brain activity was increased in the somatomotor cortex when faces with fearful expressions were shown. However, the brain activity had no major difference when other facial expressions like angry, surprised or neutral were shown. What does this mean The brain region's somatomotor cortex is linked with increased activity and movement.

These are essentially physical responses ‘the fight or flight’ reaction to fear. In this study, researchers found that this area became more active when girls with anorexia saw fearful faces. when girls with anorexia are shown fearful faces.

It implies that anxiety is closely associated with anorexia. Anorexia is not merely about food and body image, but it's deeply tied to anxiety at the very core. So when they see others with fearful faces, it's a trigger for them, reminding them of their fears and anxieties.

Brain reacts more strongly then. Seeing the fear in others may reinforce their emotional distress, making them highly sensitive to negative emotions. Anxiety is embedded at the roots of anorexia, so anxiety too requires to be alleviated.

ALSO READ: Could the secret to easing anxiety be hiding in your gut? Here's how to fix your mood Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition..