Too Much Estrogen in the Womb Leads to Anorexia

Anorexia is a condition that can consume a person, taking control of their life, their actions and their thought process. Those who care for the person often do not understand what drives the condition and therefore will struggle to help and support the individual. As scientists and researchers continue to examine this disorder, new theories emerge and new treatments are being developed that may or may not impact the effects.

Throughout culture today, critics are quick to blame the fashion industry and celebrities for propagating the perception that size zero is the only attractive size. A study published by a team at the University of Sussex examines the possibility that the eating disorder is not related to visual perception at all, but instead hormones that can wreak havoc on the mind and the body.

In this research, scientists claim that exposure to high levels of estrogen in the womb is actually the main cause of anorexia. Estrogen is naturally produced by the mother and pumped into the womb to help baby girls to develop. Scientists believe that during this process, those who experience anorexia later in life received too much estrogen.

This link was discovered in a study of twins, which focused on boys with a twin sister and boys with a twin brother. The boy with a twin sister would have been exposed to high levels of estrogen in the womb due to the existence of the female. These boys were ten times more likely to get anorexia than boys with a twin brother.

It is believed that some mothers simply over-produce the hormone. While this is often unseen, it can still have a long-term impact on the brain of the child. The University of Sussex argues that this assessment explains why so many more women suffer from the eating disorder than men. The researchers also argue that these findings support suggestions that anorexia is inherited rather than triggered by images of skinny models.

Dr. Marco Procopio examined the results for twins over the course of 25 years and noted that women are ten times more likely to develop anorexia than men and the findings from this study explain why. Procopio argues these findings support the theory that estrogen is having a major effect in the womb as too much can make a baby into a teenage anorexic. One certainty he highlighted is that there is a genetic disposition to the eating disorder.

North London Rhodes Farm Clinic for anorexics physician, Dr. Dee Dawson noted that anorexia is often sparked by problems at home, although physical reasons could make some teenagers more susceptible to the condition.