Testosterone May Protect Against Eating Disorders
Research at Michigan State University has shown that testosterone may protect people against eating disorders. This means that biological factors, not just social effects, are associated with anorexia and bulimia.
This is a six-year study, which is still in progress, of 538 sets of twins in Michigan. The results reveal that females who were in the womb with male twins have lower risk for eating disorder symptoms than those who were in the womb with female twins. Previous animal studies have indicated that females in the womb with males are exposed to higher levels of testosterone.
According to the Academy for Eating Disorders, approximately 10% of late teen and adult women report symptoms of eating disorders.
The researchers also looked at non-twin females that grew up with a brother. They found that those females were at a higher risk of eating disorder symptoms than female twins who shared a womb with a male.
This research adds to a pool of knowledge on how testosterone affects brain development. I think this is important, because it may be used to treat eating disorders and learn more about how these problems develop.
Reference: Michigan State University
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