Lasting autistic traits in women with anorexia
"A traditional eating disorder is usually linked to fixation with food and weight, but there are also a large number of other thoughts and behavior in individuals with anorexia nervosa that have previously been considered typical for autism," says Louise Karjalainen, PhD and psychologist at the Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre in Gothenburg. It has long been known that individuals with autism have disturbed eating behavior. However, it has been unclear whether typical autistic behavior surrounding food also exists in those with anorexia nervosa. One of the groups studied by Louise Karjalainen included around 30 women with anorexia nervosa between the ages of 15-25. After a year when their health had generally begun to improve, they still had the negative thought patterns and behavior around food that characterizes individuals with autism. "Their general eating patterns improved during the follow-up year, but it was specifically noteworthy that they were still at t...