Anorexia: A perverse effect of attempting to control the starvation response

Randolph Nesse

doi:10.1017/S0140525X16001503

Anorexia: A perverse effect of attempting to control the starvation response

Randolph Nesse

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Starvation arouses evolved protective mechanisms including binge eating and increased metabolic efficiency and fat storage. When aroused by dieting, the experiences of out-of-control eating, increased appetite, and increased fat storage arouse greater fears of obesity, spurring renewed attempts to restrict intake severely. The resulting positive feedback cycle escalates into bulimia for many, and anorexia in a few.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e125
Pages (from-to)	31-32
Number of pages	2
Journal	Behavioral and Brain Sciences
Volume	40
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X16001503
State	Published - 2017

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Physiology
Behavioral Neuroscience

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10.1017/S0140525X16001503

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title = "Anorexia: A perverse effect of attempting to control the starvation response",

abstract = "Starvation arouses evolved protective mechanisms including binge eating and increased metabolic efficiency and fat storage. When aroused by dieting, the experiences of out-of-control eating, increased appetite, and increased fat storage arouse greater fears of obesity, spurring renewed attempts to restrict intake severely. The resulting positive feedback cycle escalates into bulimia for many, and anorexia in a few.",

author = "Randolph Nesse",

note = "Funding Information: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Our research has been supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council under grant BB/J016446/1 and the European Research Council under grant AdG 666669 (COMSTAR). Funding Information: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31500901) and the Education Project for Young Scholar, Shanghai Planning Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences, China (B1701). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2017 Cambridge University Press.",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.1017/S0140525X16001503",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "40",

pages = "31--32",

journal = "Behavioral and Brain Sciences",

issn = "0140-525X",

publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Anorexia

T2 - A perverse effect of attempting to control the starvation response

AU - Nesse, Randolph

N1 - Funding Information: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Our research has been supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council under grant BB/J016446/1 and the European Research Council under grant AdG 666669 (COMSTAR). Funding Information: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author is funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31500901) and the Education Project for Young Scholar, Shanghai Planning Project of Philosophy and Social Sciences, China (B1701). Publisher Copyright: © 2017 Cambridge University Press.

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Starvation arouses evolved protective mechanisms including binge eating and increased metabolic efficiency and fat storage. When aroused by dieting, the experiences of out-of-control eating, increased appetite, and increased fat storage arouse greater fears of obesity, spurring renewed attempts to restrict intake severely. The resulting positive feedback cycle escalates into bulimia for many, and anorexia in a few.

AB - Starvation arouses evolved protective mechanisms including binge eating and increased metabolic efficiency and fat storage. When aroused by dieting, the experiences of out-of-control eating, increased appetite, and increased fat storage arouse greater fears of obesity, spurring renewed attempts to restrict intake severely. The resulting positive feedback cycle escalates into bulimia for many, and anorexia in a few.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85040794023

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85040794023#tab=citedBy

U2 - 10.1017/S0140525X16001503

DO - 10.1017/S0140525X16001503

M3 - Review article

C2 - 29342586

SN - 0140-525X

VL - 40

SP - 31

EP - 32

JO - Behavioral and Brain Sciences

JF - Behavioral and Brain Sciences

M1 - e125

ER -

Anorexia: A perverse effect of attempting to control the starvation response

Abstract

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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