At the height of her illness, Niamh Jimenez reduced her food intake to under 500 calories a day. Now recovered, she examines the latest science and debunks some of the common myths surrounding eating disorders
The truth is, we still don’t know exactly what causes anorexia. But we have learned more in recent decades. Whereas anorexia was earlier viewed through the lens of individual and familial behaviors and cultural influences, it is increasingly understood, as with other psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia and depression, to involve a neurological element.