Estrogen Linked to Anorexia

High levels of estrogen in the womb may increase risk of anorexia, shows new research published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Psychiatrists studied medical records of thousands of Swedish twins. They found anorexia to be higher in female twins than males, which was not surprising as overall rates of anorexia are higher in women. What was surprising however, were their findings on mixed gender twins: Males with a twin sister were ten times more likely than male-male twins to develop anorexia during their lives.

Researchers suggest an over-expression of estrogen in some pregnancies involving female fetuses may cause changes in the brain that predispose both women and males from male-female twins to developing anorexia.

These findings support recent research showing differences in the brain function in anorexics.

ABSTRACT: Intrauterine Hormonal Environment and Risk of Developing Anorexia Nervosa