Latest Short Talks Examines Anorexia, Muscle Loss and Challenges of Treatment

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric condition characterized by a fear of weight gain and reduced calorie consumption that can result in dangerous weight loss. This condition is thought to affect around 1% to 4% of all women, and those who suffer from it, or have suffered from it, are estimated to be three times more likely to die prematurely than those who have never had it.  

This month on Short Talks from the Hill, Megan Rosa-Caldwell, assistant professor of exercise science at the University of Arkansas, discusses her research on anorexia nervosa and how it affects muscle biology.

“What we have seen and shown, at least in our laboratory, is it seems that with anorexia there is muscle loss,” Rosa-Caldwell explains in the interview. “So perhaps unsurprisingly, if someone's not eating, their body wastes and muscle is part of that. But with weight restoration, although people tend to gain back body fat, which is an important consideration, they don't tend to really gain back muscle. And over the long term, that can have really big impacts on quality of life, mobility, and can also influence future bone health, because muscle health and bone health are actually very, very closely tied.”

In the interview, she also suggests some signs to look for if you suspect a loved one may be struggling with anorexia nervosa.

Short Talks from the Hill highlights research, scholarly work and economic impact news at the U of A.

You can hear more about Rosa-Caldwell’s work by visiting ArkansasResearch.uark.edu or downloading Short Talks wherever you get your podcasts.