PS264 Lecture 8: PS 264 - Lesson 8
Document Summary
Primary concern of homeostatic eating is to maintain energy: but it"s not that simple homeostatic mechanisms can fail in both directions. Individual severely restricts food intake, in some cases to the point of starvation or death. 5-1% of female population, more often in adolescents/young adults, more rare in men: dsm criteria. Symptoms: amenorrhea, distorted attitude towards eating (e. g. , denial of need to eat), enjoyment in losing weight, desired body of extreme thinness, minimum for diagnosis: 15% below expected weight. Severe restriction leads to death: disturbance of body image. The serotonin hypothesis for anorexia: an overactive system. Some research suggests in anorexics serotonin levels are below normal: serotonin is important in mood, perhaps these people are restricting their eating due to adaptation reason because when they eat they feel bad. Could anorexia be an adaptive response: long-term (longer than 6 months) weight gain leads to above normal levels of serotonin (which is associated with mood disorders such as anxiety, etc. )
