Could an appetite-blunting hormone be responsible for anorexia? Well, researchers aren't quite sure yet, but a recent study confirmed the existence of increased levels of such a hormone among adolescent girls with the disorder.

Boston-based researchers compared the levels of peptide YY (a hormone "released by the gut in response to a recently consumed meal") in 23 girls with anorexia and 21 healthy girls between 12 and 18 years old. According to information contained in this Reuters Health article, "The more calories the meal contains, the more peptide YY is released. The hormone then travels to the brain where it works to reduce appetite."

Just as they hypothesized, levels of the hormone were significantly raised in girls with anorexia. In addition, weight gain in the anorexic girls was associated with a decrease in peptide YY levels, according to the study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism.

So, the question becomes: Do these excessive hormones exist as a reaction to the mental diesease or are they part of its cause? That's exactly what researchers have set out to discover next. Take a moment to think about the significance of these findings within the medical community. The results of future studies will have an incredibly large impact on the diagnosis and/or treatment of anorexia nervosa. If increased levels of peptide YY occur as a result of the eating disorder, doctors will have a valuable tool for determining which individuals (who may be trying to hide the disorder) suffer from anorexia. On the other hand, abnormally high levels of the hormone may reveal an existing biological pre-disposition to the disease. Either way, studies on and treatment of eating disorders will change drastically - and for the better.