Potential Causes of Eating Disorders

As with any kind of disorder, disease, or illness there can be many causes of eating disorders both simple and complex.

According the National Eating Disorders Association website :http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/information-resources/general-information.php#causes-eating-disorders ; there are many factors that can play in to all eating disorders in general, while they may all begin with preoccupations with eating and food there is other causes behind the disorders that have much more to do with than just food. These may include but are not limited to; psychological factors such as low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, or even depression and anxiety. Other factors may include personal problems such as relationship issues, difficulty expressing feelings or emotions, and even a history of sexual/physical abuse or bullying. Social factors can also play into the cause of eating disorders such as trouble finding a place to fit in, the pressure from society to be thin, and cultural norms which pressure an ideal body weight/image. And finally biological factors can play a role. Now this is still being researched by scientists but there is a theory that biological dispositions may automatically make someone vulnerable to other causes of eating disorders or to eating disorders in general based on your genetic makeup (NEDA, 2011).

Jeffrey G. Johnson and collegues conducted a study of 782 mothers and their offspring. They were interviewed during three stage of life; childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood of the offspring. The following factors were assessed; childhood maltreatment, eating problems, environmental risk factors, temperament, maladaptive parental behavior, and parental psychopathology were assessed during childhood and adolescence. Their research was based on previous research which suggested that childhood adversities may contribute to the development of eating disorders. Previous research found that individuals with eating disorders are more likely than to report a history of childhood maltreatment, other chronic childhood adversities, and problematic relationships with their parents. This is just what Johnsn et al,. found in their study that children with reported childhood adversities were more likely to experience eating disorders in their adolescent years (Johnson, 2002)