Genetics

My relentless fascination with the question why has led me into the field of genetics.  A ten-year study on eating disorders was conducted in London where researchers searched through the entire human genome to find genes pertaining specifically to anorexia and/ or bulimia.  Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that releases signals telling the body it wants food, sleep, or sex, and controls levels of impulse, aggression, perception, depression, and anxiety.  It has been proven that variations in the serotonin receptor gene are twice as likely to occur in patients with anorexia.  So, in anorexic patients, serotonin is emitted more frequently, sending signals about food and/or sex that may not be pertinent.  It has also been proven that patients with high levels of serotonin suffer from extreme levels of anxiety.  Bulimics and people suffering with depression, on the other hand, have been reported to findings of low serotonin levels in their brain.  To rectify the imbalance of chemicals, we binge on foods high in sugars and carbohydrates to increase the levels of serotonin, thereby presenting a false sense of well-being.  I now have medical research to prove why my anxiety level is so much higher without bingeing and purging for 6 weeks.  I don't have to take such a deep breath.