Eating disorders can be extremely threatening – having an unhealthy relationship with food is often a shameful secret or a neglected matter that is taken lightly. A person of any age, gender, and background may suffer from an eating disorder triggered by external circumstances, mental health issues that have not yet been diagnosed, and body image concerns.
In this guide, we will take a look at how eating disorders develop, explore risk factors for the most common eating behaviors that are considered abnormal, and explain the obstacles that make treatment such a complex issue.
Understanding Eating Disorders: An Overview
An eating disorder is a common mental health issue that impacts the person’s attitude towards food and their self-perception. This is a serious problem whether you are eating too much, not eating enough, getting rid of food to stop gaining weight, or feeling disgusted by the mere sight of food. Despite the misconception that eating disorders develop when the person is young and susceptible to peer pressure and unrealistic body standards pushed by social media, this is a problem that may affect a mature adult – body image struggles are relevant at any age.
What Causes Eating Disorders?
While every eating disorder is unique and every individual diagnosed with it has a one-of-a-kind story to tell, there are certain contributing factors, as well as a combination of them, that trigger the development of eating disorders:
| Causes | Description |
Biological Factors | Eating disorders often run in families – there is a high chance that a child of a parent with an eating disorder will also struggle with this problem. Brain chemistry and genetics are also at play – for instance, a person diagnosed with an eating disorder may have high levels of cortisol, a hormone that alleviates stress |
Psychological Factors | While not every person with an eating disorder will deal with a mood disorder or a mental health condition, it is rather common for an individual suffering from anorexia or bulimia to exhibit traits and characteristics found in patients with anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder |
Environmental Triggers | The environment of the person plays a major role in how they see themselves – when an individual, no matter their age, is getting bullied or teased about their weight or going through a breakup that may have been caused by their appearance, they might develop an eating disorder |
Social Media and Cultural Pressures | It is hard to resist sociocultural pressure – when all you see online is perfect and polished, and when the expectation for you is to live up to the ideal others have created for their own gain, you may believe the only way for you to succeed is to lose weight |
The Etiology of Eating Disorders: Exploring Root Causes
Why Do People Have Eating Disorders?
Since eating disorders are as diverse as the people diagnosed with them, there is not a single specific reason for them to develop. Scientists believe genetics are to blame just like the social and cultural ideals the person is pressured by. There is also a possibility that an undiagnosed mental illness, such as depression or Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) increases the chances the individual will also have an unhealthy relationship with food.
Emotional Triggers and Coping Mechanisms
When you are going through a stressful situation, you may rely on food to manage your vulnerable emotional state – eating a lot might make you feel better for a short period of time. Although this is a normal coping mechanism, overeating to cope with anxiety or trauma becomes a problem very quickly. The same applies to stressful events that cause the individual to avoid food – if you went through a painful break-up or were bullied for your appearance, you may start believing eating less will be the solution for you.
Genetic Factors in Eating Disorders
Can Eating Disorders Be Genetic?
The latest research on genetics and eating disorders confirms that disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating disorder are heritable. If your parent or sibling has had an eating disorder at some point in their life, it is likely you will have to deal with this problem too since you share genetic abnormalities.
Family History and Hereditary Links
Environmental factors are very influential when it comes to eating disorders, but true vulnerability to these mental health conditions originates from genetic similarities. For example, a child of an anorexic parent may have a slower metabolism, which forces them to diet to lose weight.
Risk Factors for Specific Eating Disorders
Whether you are restricting your food intake or indulging in food, it is difficult to predict what kind of eating disorder might reveal its presence later on. Let us take a look at conditions and factors that increase the chances of a person to develop a particular eating disorder:
| Eating Disorder | Risk Factors |
Anorexia Nervosa | Presence of other mental health issues, obesity, traumatic events that shift the self-perception of the individual, low self-esteem, substance abuse, and obsessive perfectionism |
| Bulimia Nervosa | Weight-control issues in the household, constant diets, and a distorted body image from a young age |
Binge Eating Disorder | Disordered eating in the family, domestic abuse, history of depression and similar disorders that affect the mood |
| Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) | Distressing events in the past that involved food or hunger, disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and family history of eating disorders |
Why Are Eating Disorders So Hard to Treat?
Unfortunately, eating disorders are hard to treat – there are numerous factors that prevent a person’s family from noticing they need professional help, problems that do not let the individual eat well, and triggering circumstances that might cause relapse.
| Obstacle | Description |
Complexity of Underlying Causes | The presence of other mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, or obsessive-compulsive disorder will cause the person to eat too much or not enough. If an eating disorder was triggered by a stressful event, it is hard to guarantee it will not repeat in the future causing the individual to get back to their harmful habits |
| Challenges in Diagnosis and Recovery | It is difficult to make sure a person in need of treatment listens to you, especially when they look completely normal – unlike drugs or alcohol, food or its absence are not necessarily associated with health problems |
Relapse and Long-Term Management | Sadly, many patients diagnosed with an eating disorder revert to their old habits within a few years after their recovery – whether they are starving themselves or eating too much, it is an easy thing to miss. Besides, it is the decision of the person to undergo treatment, and their family may not be able to convince them to do it |
Breaking the Stigma: Seeking Help for Eating Disorders
An eating disorder may not seem a big deal to you at first yet it is an issue that might define your entire life if occasional dieting turns into an obsessive habit. The importance of early intervention cannot be overstated – nowadays, when the pressure of having a perfect body can reach the youngest minds, it is essential that parents explain to their children the significance of proper nutrition as well as the ways of handling peer pressure.
When an eating disorder is caught early and treated when the person is still a teenager, they will go into adulthood being a much more resilient individual. Still, mental health support and treatment for eating disorders are available at any age – seek professional help if your relationship with food ruins your life.
FAQs
- Did eating disorder treatment evolve over the years?
There is a misconception that eating disorders are a recent occurrence, yet historians have indicated the presence of disordered eating and dieting in people who lived centuries ago. Now, scientists and psychiatrists have a more nuanced understanding of these disorders, which have been put in a separate category – they are taken seriously and treated in a similar way to other mental and behavioral disorders to ensure the patient’s lasting recovery.
- What are the risk factors for eating disorders?
Eating disorders develop because of body image and self-esteem issues, mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, toxic family dynamics and childhood trauma, and peer pressure along with social influences.
- How can I recognize an eating disorder?
If you suspect someone close to you may have an eating disorder, be on the lookout for the following signs: eating a lot at once or limiting the amount of food, exercising or vomiting right after the meal, avoiding social gatherings, and negative lifestyle changes such as excessive smoking to replace meals.
- What are the consequences of eating disorders?
When you are dealing with one mental health condition, there is a risk another one develops – from severe depression to suicidal ideations. There are many dangers that await a person with an untreated eating disorder. Physical health suffers too – hypotension, gastrointestinal issues, organ failure, and infertility are rather common among people with severe anorexia or bulimia.
- How can you treat an eating disorder?
Depending on the manifestations of the eating disorder and the decisions made by the patient and their therapist or nutrition specialist, the treatment typically includes traditional talk therapy, specialized therapy options to address underlying issues that hurt the person in question, prescription medication, and proper nutrition education.
