Causes of Eating Disorders

No exact cause of eating disorders has yet been found. However, some characteristics have been shown to have influence in the development of the illnesses.

Personality Factors

Most people with eating disorders share certain personality traits: low self-esteem, feelings of helplessness, and a fear of becoming fat. In anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder, eating behaviors seem to develop as a way of handling stress.

Genetic and Environmental Factors Eating disorders appear to run in families, with female relatives most often affected. However, there is growing evidence that a girl's immediate social environment, including her family and friends, can emphasize the importance of thinness and weight control. For example, regular discussion of weight and dieting may normalize societal pressure to be thin. Weight related teasing by peers and family is related to low body esteem and eating disturbances in young girls. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that girls who live in families that tend to be strict and place strong emphasis on physical attractiveness and weight control are at an increased risk for inappropriate eating behaviors.4

Additionally, people pursuing professions or activities that emphasize thinness - like modeling, dancing, gymnastics, wresting, and long distance running - are more susceptible to the problem.

Body Image

The idealization of thinness has resulted in distorted body image and unrealistic measures of beauty and success. Cultural and media influences such as TV, magazines, and movies reinforce the belief that women should be more concerned with their appearance than with their own ideas or achievements. Body dissatisfaction, feelings of fatness, and drive for thinness has led many women to become overly concerned about their appearance. Research has shown that many normal weight and even underweight girls are dissatisfied with their body and are choosing inappropriate behaviors to control their appetite and food intake. The American Association of University Women found that adolescent girls believe physical appearance is a major part of their self-esteem and that their body image is a major part of their sense of self.6

Biochemistry

Recent studies have revealed a connection between biological factors associated with clinical depression and the development of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Stress hormones such as cortisol are elevated in those with eating disorders, while neurotransmitters such as serotonin may not function correctly. Research continues to better understand this relationship.