The Life Scientific - Janet Treasure

Discovery

BBC

Science, Technology

4.3 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 4 November 2024

⏱️ 27 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

From anorexia nervosa to binge-eating, eating disorders are potentially fatal conditions that are traditionally very difficult to diagnose and treat - not least because those affected often don’t recognise that there’s anything wrong. But also because of the diverse factors that can influence and encourage them.

Janet Treasure is a Professor of Psychiatry at King’s College, London - where she's focused on understanding the drivers behind these disorders, to help develop more effective treatments. Her study of twins in the 1980s offered one of the earliest arguments of a genetic link to anorexia, rather than the purely psychological motivations accepted at the time; while her most recent work explores holistic ways to better treat these conditions.

Speaking to Jim Al-Khalili, Janet explains the work that's revealed anorexia's roots in both body and mind - as well as how attitudes towards eating disorders are slowly changing.

Transcript

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0:00.0	2020
0:02.2	presidential election ahead.
0:04.6	Join America on the road to the U.S. election.
0:07.5	It's the BBC podcast full of lively chats about politics
0:10.6	and social media investigations.
0:13.0	Expert insights this way.
0:15.1	We'll guide you through all the key moments
0:17.4	as the United States chooses which direction to go in next.
0:21.3	Final destination, the White House. Navigate your way to Election Day and beyond.
0:26.7	AmeriCast. Listen on BBC Sounds.
0:29.9	Hello, today we're talking about eating disorders, a term covering a range of conditions
0:35.3	from anorexia nervosa to binge eating.
0:38.1	My guest today has made huge inroads in furthering our understanding in the field,
0:42.3	as well as helping to dispel some of the stigma around these disorders.
0:46.2	Janet Treasurer is a professor of psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London.
0:54.0	Her research is all about the relationship
0:56.0	between disorder behaviour and the brain, trying to get a handle on what drives such conditions,
1:02.2	and developing more effective treatments. Her study of twins in the 1980s offered one of the earliest
1:08.0	arguments in favour of a genetic link to anorexia nervosa,
1:11.9	rather than the purely psychological motivation that was generally accepted at the time.
1:17.3	Janet is emphatic that increasing awareness and changing attitudes around eating disorders is vital.
1:23.3	She says the old model was all about privacy and confidentiality, and we need to move on from that.
	...

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