An influx of hormones that effects the hippocampus can cause mood changes and appetite changes in a person. The effects on the hippocampus due to the change of hormones can lead to the development of an eating disorder by putting stress on the patient’s body. The hormones that lead to this mental illness are serotonin, leptin, and dopamine. These hormones help regulate hunger and change cravings in an individual which leads the patient not knowing their own hunger cues. Without hunger cues, the patient does not know when or how much to eat. This leads the patient to restrict or binge on controllable. Genetics increases the chance of establishing an eating disorder. This is seen in “Twin studies with large samples have shown the heritability of AN to be between 48% and 74%, and the genetic effect of BN to range from 59% to 83%” (Hauppauge,7). This study shows that the link between genetics and eating disorders and shows that eating disorders runs in families. This leads psychologists to believe that eating disorders are linked to a certain gene in a patient’s DNA. However, Genetics may combine with other causes to increase the chances of …show more content…
The country is worried about fighting childhood obesity but they are putting too much emphasis on food and exercise. This predisposes children with the obsession with their weight, which can lead to an eating disorder. Society also views skinniness and thinness as a sign of success and good looks. Everywhere you look, you can see tall thin women on magazine covers and thin models on the runways. The media portrays only a certain type of beauty and body type which leaves others out. This can be very harmful for the impressable and low self-esteemed like children and teens. People may look at that and think that it is what perfection looks like. Then they may feel the need to take extreme measure to achieve the idea of perfection which can cause an eating disorder to form. The fact is that perfection does not exist so patients will never be happy. The combination of the obsession for fighting obesity especially our youth and the media’s image of thinness is better than having some curves shows the impact that society has on body image and why the rate of eating disorders is increasing so