About Eating Disorders

Understanding what Causes an Eating Disorder to Develop?

There isn’t a simple way to define how eating disorders develop.  We do know that it’s not solely about food and weight.  It may start that way, but often someone with an eating disorder uses food as a coping mechanism.  There’s almost always an underlying combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.  It is important to remember eating disorders are very complex, and no two people who suffer from them are the same.

Factors that may contribute to eating disorder:

Genetic

• Family history of eating disorders
• Chemical imbalances that relate to hunger, appetite, and satisfaction
• Temperament traits

Social

• Societal pressure to obtain a certain body type
• Societal beauty standards
• Social media & marketing 
• Negative body talk
• The “normalicy” of diet culture 

Psychological

• Low self-esteem
• Depression and anxiety
• Lack of healthy coping strategies 
• Difficulty expressing emotion and feelings
• History of abuse and trauma
• Temperament traits such as: obsessive thinking, perfectionism, sensitivity to reward and punishment

No matter what factors may have contributed to someone’s eating disorder, it’s important to know that recovery is possible and most often requires professional help.