Spring Births Linked to Higher Anorexia Risk

Those born between March and June face a higher risk of developing anorexia, a study suggests. Oxford scientists reviewed the birthdays of 1,300 people with the eating disorder and found “clear evidence” leading to their conclusion, the New York Post reports. September and October produced the fewest anorexia patients, the study in the British Journal of Psychiatry found.

Researchers attribute the finding to mothers’ lack of sun exposure—and thus lower vitamin D levels—before the birth. “Seasonal changes in temperature, sunlight exposure and vitamin D levels, maternal nutrition and exposure to infections are all possible risk factors,” said one. A more skeptical scientist tells the BBC that the finding is too insignificant to have practical screening applications. (More anorexia stories.)