The starving brain (repeat)The starving brain (repeat)
All In The Mind
The pressure to be thin is more intense than ever, and with around 80% of teenage girls going on diets, some slide down the slippery slope into anorexia nervosa. Our knowledge of this puzzling disorder remains limited, but some inroads of understanding are being made into what occurs in the starving brain. Lynne Malcolm reports on the latest scientific research, and meets a young woman on the path to recovery who gives a moving insight into her experience. First broadcast 25 March 2006.
30:16•6 Jan 2007
The Starving Brain: Anorexia, Obsession and the Fight to Reclaim Control
Episode Overview
- Dieting and body dissatisfaction can trigger anorexia in vulnerable people, but the illness quickly takes on a life of its own.
- Severe starvation can shrink the brain, impair decision‑making and make psychological therapies harder to engage with.
- Hormones such as neuropeptide Y rise in prolonged hunger, potentially affecting anxiety, reward from food and bone formation.
- People with anorexia often need far more calories than expected, especially if they are still exercising, to regain weight safely.
- Reversing starvation and providing consistent, supportive care are crucial before someone can choose and maintain full recovery.
“I always believed that the key to my happiness was to be thin. And the funny thing is, is that the thinner I became, the more depressed and the more isolated and the more hopeless I felt.”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This episode shifts the focus to anorexia nervosa, showing how starving the body can also starve the brain, and why restriction and obsession feel so hard to escape. It’s aimed at anyone interested in mental health, eating disorders and how science and personal stories can shed light on these struggles. Natasha Mitchell introduces the story, while Lynne Malcolm brings together cutting-edge research with a powerful personal account from 22‑year‑old Lizzie Tabone.
Lizzie explains how dieting and low self‑esteem spiralled into extreme restriction and obsessive exercise: “I always believed that the key to my happiness was to be thin. And the funny thing is, is that the thinner I became, the more depressed and the more isolated and the more hopeless I felt.” Her description of a “little evil creature inside my head” captures the relentless, intrusive thoughts that drove her to fear even toothpaste and water.
Psychiatrist Professor Janice Russell describes anorexia as a “truly psychosomatic illness”, explaining how severe weight loss can shrink the brain and damage decision‑making, making choices like taking a mouthful of food or entering treatment far harder. She stresses that reversing starvation is essential, and that patients often need far more energy than expected, especially if they’re exercising.
Associate Professor Herbert Herzog adds a biological angle, talking about hormones such as neuropeptide Y, which regulate appetite and may contribute to anxiety, changes in reward from eating, and bone loss in people who are starving. His research hints at future treatments that could protect bone density and lessen the physical impact of prolonged under‑eating. Through Lizzie’s ongoing battle with lingering thoughts and her determination not to “venture down that road again”, the episode balances science with raw experience.
It’s a thoughtful listen for anyone affected by eating disorders or interested in how brain, body and behaviour are tightly linked. Could understanding the starving brain make recovery feel a little more possible?
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