Modeling the Adaptive Interplay of Epigenetics and Insecurity in Social Media in the Development of Anorexia Nervosa

Individuals affected by anorexia nervosa (AN), an eating disorder, endure significant suffering. Environmental factors, such as early life stressors, gestational distress, and malnutrition, have been identified as potential contributors to epigenetic changes in genes like NOD1, NEGR1, and PRKAG2, associated with AN. This paper aims to demonstrate, the influence of epigenetics on the development of AN, by introducing a fifth-order adaptive self-modelling network model. Additionally, the model will account for the environmental impact of pro-ana sites, which frequently give harmful advice and encouragement, exacerbating the disorder.