Does Eating Make You Feel Good—or Anxious?
By Elizabeth Angell,Allure magazine
It has long been though that anorexia was a psychological condition-an extreme diet that someone undertook because of her (most anorexia sufferers are women) fears about food, weight, or control. But new research shows that there may be a biological origin for the feelings of anxiety about food.
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For most of us, the term "comfort food" could be applied to almost everything we eat-food makes us feel good. And not just in the sense that it satisfies hunger or tastes delicious: Eating a good meal causes the release of dopamine and lights up the pleasure centers of our brain. But a recent study showed that people who suffer from anorexia don't have that same pleasurable response. Instead, the part of the brain that was activated by dopamine was the area associated with worry.
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"This is the first study to demonstrate a biological reason why individuals with anorexia nervosa have a paradoxical response to food," said Walter Kaye, a professor of psychiatry and director of the Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. "It's possible that when people with anorexia nervosa eat, the related release of the neurotransmitter dopamine makes them anxious, rather than experiencing a normal feeling of reward."
It makes sense-anyone who's struggled with an eating disorder knows that the cure is far more complicated than just telling yourself that food is delicious and eating a healthy diet is good for you.
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Photo Credit: Condé Nast Digital Studio
