I
recently came across this article, “How Does the Brain Affect Eating Disorders?” regarding
the “eating
disorder brain.” There’s still so much mystery.
Our
thoughts, our habits and our patterns stem from somewhere.
Spiritually,
scripture has much to say on this...
“For as he thinketh in his heart, so
is he...”
Proverbs 23:7
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my
thoughts.”
Psalm 139:23
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways
my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are
my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9
“And he said unto
them, ‘Why are ye troubled? And why do thoughts arise in your hearts?’”
Luke 24:38
“Casting down
imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge
of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.”
2 Corinthians 10:5
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;
but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”
2 Timothy 1:7
Yet, there
is incredible validity to the physical aspects of the biology of the brain’s
wiring. Information and treatment, derived from the legitimate study can also
offer tremendous help as well. Healing and health should be comprehensive, including
support from ALL sides.
How Does the Brain Affect Eating Disorders?
Eating
Disorders: What does the Brain have to do with it?Anorexia and bulimia continue to be recognized as the most deadly diseases among psychiatric disorders. If you or a loved one has suffered from either of these eating disorders, you may understand why. Trapped within a vicious cycle of restrictive eating or binging and purging, eating disorder sufferers continue to face a brutal road to recovery. Given the complexity of these diseases and few treatments that are proven effective, men and women suffering from anorexia and bulimia often face many uncertainties regarding their health and prognosis for recovery.
Thankfully, this is changing with the progression of new research and evolution of scientific discoveries. It has long been thought that eating disorder behavior is driven by environmental or social factors, such as an obsessional preoccupation with body image. Few studies have investigated the biological component of these diseases, though new studies are revealing the substantiality of this factor in the development of an eating disorder.
A landmark study led by Dr. Walter H. Kaye, professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, suggests that altered brain function, specifically in the neural circuitry, may contribute to restricted eating in anorexia and overeating in bulimia. This study confirms previous findings also discovered by this group of researchers, which have established a clear correlation between neurobiology and eating disorders.
In this recent study, the brain response to sweet tastes was measured using functional MRI in a group of 28 women who had recovered from either anorexia or bulimia. These findings were compared to a control group of 14 women who had never suffered from either disorder. Interestingly, researchers discovered that those who had recovered from anorexia had a significantly diminished response to the taste of sucrose in the area of the brain where taste is sensed. In contrast, those who had recovered from bulimia had significantly elevated responses to the taste of sucrose in this brain region.
In regards to these findings, first author Dr. Tyson Oberndorfer noted, “One possibility is that restricted eating and weight loss occurs in anorexia because the brain fails to accurately recognize hunger signals. Alternately, overeating in bulimia could represent an exaggerated perception of hunger signals.”
What exactly does this translate into for eating disorder sufferers and their loved ones? This research may offer a pathway to new and more effective treatments for disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Research findings such as these also give greater insight into the pathology of an eating disorder. Understanding that the biological component of an eating disorder is significant and may be of relief to some loved ones, who have difficulty comprehending how an eating disorder may have developed in the first place.
Having an eating disorder does not resonate into hopelessness or despair. Research-based treatments along with invaluable support of loved ones can be the key to recovery and healing.
Source: Altered Neural Circuitry May Lead to Anorexia and Bulimia – UCSD Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program
We need to remember, no matter what,
God is a healing God and He desires a healthy mind for each of us.
“For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may
instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:16
May we all come to know better health
each day of our lives!
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my
ways, says the Lord. For as the
heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My
thoughts than your thoughts.”
Isaiah 55:8-9
“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
2 Corinthians 3:18
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the
Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
Jeremiah 29:11
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