2024-07-09
28 分钟From anorexia nervosa to binge-eating, eating disorders are potentially fatal conditions that are traditionally very difficult to diagnose and treat - not least because those affected often don’t recognise that there’s anything wrong. But also because of the diverse factors that can influence and encourage them. Janet Treasure is a Professor of Psychiatry at King’s College, London - where she's focused on understanding the drivers behind these disorders, to help develop more effective treatments. Her study of twins in the 1980s offered one of the earliest arguments of a genetic link to anorexia, rather than the purely psychological motivations accepted at the time; while her most recent work explores holistic ways to better treat these conditions. Speaking to Jim Al-Khalili, Janet explains the work that's revealed anorexia's roots in both body and mind - as well as how attitudes towards eating disorders are slowly changing. Presented by Jim Al-Khalili Produced by Lucy Taylor
BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts hello and welcome to the podcast edition of the Life Scientific.
I'm Jamal Khalili and this is the show where I get to talk with some of the world's leading scientists and you get to find out what drives them.
So sit back, get comfortable, and enjoy the episode.
Today we're talking about eating disorders, a term covering a range of conditions from anorexia nervosa to binge eating.
These conditions, physically and emotionally damaging and potentially fatal, have proved extremely difficult to diagnose and treat, not least because those affected often don't recognize or acknowledge that there's anything wrong.
But my guest today has made huge inroads in furthering our understanding in the field, as well as helping to dispel some of the stigma around these disorders.
Janet Treasure is a professor of psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London.
Her research is all about the relationship between disorder, behavior and the brain trying to get a handle on what drives such conditions and developing more effective treatments.
Her study of twins in the 1980s offered one of the earliest arguments in favor of a genetic link to anorexia nervosa rather than the purely psychological motivation that was generally accepted at the time.
Janet is emphatic that increasing awareness and changing attitudes around eating disorders is vital.
She says the old model was all about privacy and confidentiality and we need to move on from that.
Sure, we need to be sensitive, but there used to be real stigma, an idea you couldn't talk about.
Now that's changing.
There's more openness, and that can only be a good thing.
Professor Janet Treasurer, welcome to the Life Scientific.
Thank you.
Nice to be here.
Now, eating disorders is a term that covers a whole range of behaviors, as I mentioned.
To start off, can you give me a sense of how common they are in the UK today?
That's a difficult question to answer because they were known about in 1888 and named anorexia nervosa was.