1) The document discusses two evolutionary theories for anorexia nervosa: the reproductive suppression hypothesis and the 'adapted to flee' hypothesis. 2) The reproductive suppression hypothesis suggests that weight loss was a strategy to suppress reproductive capability during times of food scarcity when pregnancy would have been risky. 3) Symptoms of anorexia may reflect ancestral adaptive mechanisms for migrating during local famines, as food restriction is common in such situations. However, the theories are reductionist and do not fully consider other complex explanations or modern cultural influences.

1. Evolutionary explanations relate to the
adaptive nature of Anorexia Nervosa –
(how they’ve helped the species survive)
There are 2 Evolutionary theories:
 Reproductive
 ‘Adapted
Suppression Hypothesis
to Flee’ Hypothesis

2. Evolution delays the onset of sexual maturation in
response to cues in the environment about the
probability of poor reproductive success.
It enables the female to avoid giving birth at a
time when conditions are not conducive to
the survival of her offspring.
Anorexia Nervosa is a ‘disordered variant’ of the
adaptive ability – when may feel unable to cope
with biological, emotional and social responsibility
of womanhood.

3. REPRODUCTIVE SUPPRESSION HYPOTHESIS
basic assumptions
weight loss was a strategy for
suppressing reproductive capability
when food was in limited supply, pregnancy
would have been risky for the mother and
survival chances for the infant would have
been reduced
in the absence of contraceptives, weight
loss would prevent pregnancy at times
when it would be too risky

4. REPRODUCTIVE SUPPRESSION HYPOTHESIS
based on 2 ‘models’
the reproduction suppression model : because
reproduction is costly to females, a female facing
conditions temporarily unfavourable to reproduction
can increase her lifetime reproductive success by
delaying reproduction until conditions improve
the critical fat hypothesis : because a minimum
amount of body fat (17%) is needed before
menstruation begins and additional fat accumulation
(22%) is needed to maintain regular ovulation
(Frisch, 1985; Frisch and Barbieri, 2002) altering the
trajectory of adolescent weight gain, or the loss of
five pounds or so, could have been an effective
mechanism for controlling sexual maturation and
fertility in ancestral females

5. REPRODUCTIVE SUPPRESSION HYPOTHESIS
selective pressures favouring reproductive suppression?
1. more females than males
2. attention from ‘undesirable’ males

6. REPRODUCTIVE SUPPRESSION HYPOTHESIS
selective pressures favouring reproductive suppression?
1.more females than males
- more competition from other females = not all
females can mate… so those that don’t need to ‘save’
up for lost time
2. attention from ‘undesirable’ males
- the youngest females are the most vulnerable because
they lack emotional maturity/confidence to rebuff
unwanted attention = makes sense to delay reproductive
ability until older (when more likely to make the ‘right’
choice of a mate)

7. 
Amenorrhea & the onset of puberty is delayed

Based upon observations of species
―
How are the symptoms passed on because this
behaviour (AN) will decrease fertility & can kill?
―
General problems with the Evolutionary theory

8. Symptoms reflect adaptive mechanisms that
caused migration when local famine conditions
occurred.
Food restriction is a common feature when
competition for food, and migration behaviour.
Therefore for modern-day individuals, those with a
genetic pre-disposition to Anorexia, losing too
much weight may trigger ancestral mechanisms.
e.g. ‘Holy Anorexia’ in Middle Ages
(saints recognised for miraculous ability to live without food)

9. 
Treatment Implications – Guisinger claims AFH ‘relieves
therapists of the need to search for familial reasons for
Anorexia’.
Awareness of this causal influence can help treatment
and encourage parents to be more compassionate
towards their child.
―
This treatment implication is Reductionist as it is
ignoring other possible and more complex explanations.
―
How have the symptoms been passed on? Anorexia
would function effectively in ancestral conditions but
can be deadly outside the ecological setting.

10.  Reductionist
– not search for more complex
explanation, such as the emotional relationships
within families as a cause
 Deterministic
– view that an individual’s behaviour
is shaped/controlled by internal forces rather than an
individual’s will to do something
 Cultural
Influence –
doesn’t acknowledge the
importance of cultural influences, e.g. if it is adaptive &
innate then why doesn’t it happen in all cultures?