What are the Causes of Eating Disorders?

There is no simple answer, but these ideas have all been suggested as explanations:

Social pressure

Our social surroundings powerfully influence our behaviour. Societies that don’t value thinness have fewer eating disorders. Places where thinness is valued, such as ballet schools, have more eating disorders. ‘Thin is beautiful’ in Western culture. Television, newspapers and magazines show pictures of idealised, artificially slim people. So, at some time or other, most of us try to diet. Some of us diet too much, and slip into anorexia.

Lack of an “off” switch

Most of us can only diet so much before our body tells us that it is time to start eating again. Some people with anorexia may not have this same body “switch” and can keep their body weight dangerously low for a long time.

Control

It can be very satisfying to diet. Most of us know the feeling of achievement when the scales tell us that we have lost a couple of pounds. It is good to feel that we can control ourselves in a clear, visible way. It may be that your weight is the only part of your life over which you feel you do have any control.

Puberty

Anorexia can reverse some of the physical changes of becoming an adult - pubic and facial hair in men, breasts and menstrual periods in women. This may help to put off the demands of getting older, particularly sexual ones.

Family

Eating is an important part of our lives with other people. Accepting food gives pleasure and refusing it will often upset someone. This is particularly true within families. Saying “no” to food may be the only way you can express your feelings, or have any say in family affairs.

Depression

Most of us have eaten for comfort when we have been upset, or even just bored. People with bulimia are often depressed, and it may be that binges start off as a way of coping with feelings of unhappiness. Unfortunately, vomiting and using laxatives can leave you feeling just as bad.

Low self-esteem

People with anorexia and bulimia often have low self esteem, and compare themselves unfavourably to other people. Losing weight can be a way of trying to get a sense of respect and self-worth.

Emotional distress

We all react differently when bad things happen, or when our lives change. Anorexia and bulimia have been related to:

* Life difficulties
* Sexual abuse
* Physical illness
* Upsetting events - a death or the break-up of a relationship
* Important events - marriage or leaving home.
* The vicious circle
* An eating disorder can continue even when the original stress or reason for it has passed. Once your stomach has shrunk, it can feel uncomfortable and frightening to eat.

Physical causes

Some doctors think that there may be a physical cause that we don’t yet understand.

Is it different for men?

* Eating disorders do seem to have become more common in boys and men.
* Eating disorders are more common in occupations, which demand a low body weight (or low body fat). These include bodybuilding, wrestling, dancing, swimming, and athletics.
* It may be that men are now seeking help for eating disorders rather than keeping quiet about them.

People with special needs and younger children

A learning difficulty, autism or some other developmental problems can disrupt eating. For example, some people with autism may take a dislike to the colour or texture of foods, and refuse to eat them. The eating problems of pre-teen children are more to do with food texture, “picky eating” or being angry rather than with wanting to be very thin. The ways of helping these problems are rather different from those for anorexia and bulimia.

See below to find out more from our knowledge resource on eating disorders:

* Detecting the signs
* Bulimia Nervosa
* Anorexia Nervosa
* Eating disorders self help
* Overeating and Binge Eating