According to a study on mice, researchers found that “loss of gene may be responsible for several behavioral changes seen in people with eating disorders”. It was found that, mice that lack the estrogen-related receptor alpha gene are less motivated to seek out high-fat food when they are hungry and have abnormal social interactions.

The study shows that ESRRA levels are controlled by energy status in the mice. By restricting the calorie intake to 60 per cent of normal over several days, the ESRRA levels in the brain of normal mice are significantly increased. Explaining the statement assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa stated "Decreased calorie intake usually motivates animals, including humans, to seek out high-calorie food. These findings suggest that loss of ESRRA activity may disrupt that response".  The research team manipulated the ESRRA in mice to investigate the gene’s role in behavioral changes. “This work identifies estrogen-related receptor alpha as one of the genes that is likely to contribute to the risk of getting anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa” he added.
 
ESRRA is a gene that turn on other genes. The researcher’s selectively removed the gene from particular brain regions which are associated with the eating problems.

They found that removing the gene from the orbitofrontal cortex was associated with increased obsessive-compulsive-type behaviors in female mice, while loss of ESRRA from the prefrontal cortex produced mice that were less willing to work to get high-fat food when they were hungry.

The findings were published in the journal Cell Reports. Finally the reason for the behavioral changes in people with the eating disorders has found.
 
AW: Lizitha