Futurity

What mice and rats can teach us about anorexia

We tend to think media and society trigger anorexia, says neuroscientist Chiye Aoki. But animal models of the disorder suggest something else is going on.

A common assumption is that media and society trigger anorexia, says Chiye Aoki, professor at New York University’s Center for Neural Science. “However, neuroscientists have shown that ordinary female adolescent rats and mice can be induced to become anorexic, too.”

In this 90-second video, Aoki explains how neuroscientists are exploring anorexia’s origins and potential treatments. Their motivating question is, “What about hunger changes the brain to evoke excessive exercise and voluntary food restriction?”

Source: New York University

The post What mice and rats can teach us about anorexia appeared first on Futurity.

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