Hair strands yield eating disorder secrets

Diagnosis of eating disorders in women may be made easier by analysing hair strands, described by scientists as “chemical diaries”.

Research published today in the Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry journal says that analysis of carbon and nitrogen molecules in hair strands could help the treatment of eating disorders.

Background information published in the study says that eating disorders are often difficult to diagnose due to women’s reluctance to discuss problems with their doctor and their attempts to disguise conditions.

The research team from the US-based Brigham Young University says that proteins naturally occurring in hair strands are “subtly affected” by an individual’s nutritional state, so therefore could be used to identify possible disorders.

By using their own method to establish a connection between strands of hair and people with eating disorders, the scientists had a success rate of 80 per cent.

Lead author Kent Hatch writes: “The test needs further validation before it will be ready for routine clinical use, but we believe that the current work shows that the method is already quite robust.

“While some objective measures, such as low weight for age and height, aid in diagnosis of eating disorders, up until now doctors and researchers have had to rely heavily on self-reported information and qualitative interviews with patients. Data collected this way is often highly subjective and demands honesty from the patient. This test has the potential of providing an objective, biological measure for diagnosing eating disorders.”