Anorexia May Be Habit, Not Willpower, Study Finds

The New York Times:

Women who suffer from anorexia are often thought of as having an extraordinary degree of self-control, even if that discipline is used self-destructively.

But a new study suggests that the extreme dieting characteristic of anorexia may instead be well-entrenched habit — behavior governed by brain processes that, once set in motion, are inflexible and slow to change.

The study’s findings may help explain why the eating disorder, which has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, is so stubbornly difficult to treat. But they also add to increasing evidence that the brain circuits involved in habitual behavior play a role in disorders where people persist in making self-destructive choices no matter the consequences, like cocaine addiction or compulsive gambling.

Read the whole story: The New York Times