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The Many Causes of Eating Disorders

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The Many Causes of Eating Disorders

Most researchers and clinicians who work in the Eating Disorders field believe that conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder develop as the result of many influences. The conditions themselves are very complex, affecting just about all aspects of the person' s life. Just as an eating disorder can cause multiple impairments, e.g. emotional, psychological, interpersonal, social, spiritual, and physical, so are the contributing factors. While much remains to be learned, there is broad consensus that the factors listed below are significant contributors to the development of an eating disorder.

Factors that Contribute to the Development of an Eating Disorder

Psychological

• Feeling that one's life is out of control
• Persistent low opinions of one's own worth
• Significant negative mood such as depression, anger, anxiety, loneliness

Interpersonal

• Discomfort expressing personal feelings
• Being teased or bullied because of size or weight
• Family or personal relationships characterized by conflict, or criticism
• History of sexual, emotional, or physical abuse

Social

• Cultural pressures that place an exaggerated emphasis on appearance, especially to be thin
• Unrealistic, biologically unattainable standards of beauty
• Social norms that base social acceptance and attractiveness only on conforming to narrow physical standards

Biological

• It is believed that there is a biological vulnerability to developing an eating disorder but it remains unclear exactly what the vulnerability is. A variety of neurotransmitters, hormones, and chemicals that regulate appetite, digestion and mood are currently being investigated.

Understanding the causes of eating disorders is further complicated by the fact that actions that are designed to achieve weight loss can actually cause some disturbed eating behavior. The effects of semi-starvation, also called dieting, can cause physiological changes that perpetuate the disorder. For example, chronic, severe dietary restriction can worsen depression and anxiety, as well as trigger binge eating. Also, the original causes of the eating disorder are likely to not be the factors that keep it going. Often, dieting is initiated in the hopes of producing changes that will make the person feel better about herself or as a way of coping with negative emotions. So what starts out as a way of demonstrating self-control ends up controlling the person.

If you suspect that you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, contact one of our eating disorder specialists for help.