Getting at underlying factors of eating disorders

February 10, 2020

 

Subtle differences in brain activity may be the key to unlocking the cause of eating disorders and lead to a more proactive approach in tackling the disease.

By looking at the disease both biologically and psychologically, Psychology professor Lindsay Bodell, hopes to uncover the factors that make certain individuals more vulnerable than others to display eating-disorder behaviours.

“One of the things I’m looking at is can we see brain-based differences in terms of response,” said Bodell, Director of the Psychobiology of Eating And Related Disorders (PEAR) Lab. “How people react to social evaluation – whether it’s positive or negative – can we see differences at a neurological level? Does that impact the risks for more likely developing such disorders?”

Continue reading at Western News