Causes of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa do not happen overnight. These diseases develop over time and are a result of various factors that include family orientation, peer pressure and media influences. Studies conducted by various agencies reveal that each person with eating disorder has his/her own history of the disease. Each person with eating disorder also requires a different eating disorder program. For this reason, eating disorder treatment plans are generally designed to be flexible to suit the individual needs of patients.
Individuals whose family members are generally thin are most likely to develop anorexia. Families who are very particular with weight tend to have unlikely attitude towards food. In a effort to stay within weight limits, some individuals would skip meals and eventually starve themselves in order to get away from added weight. Some others would take medications such as laxatives, while others would engage in exercises in order to sweat themselves and to shed off fats from the body.
Unhealthy interpersonal relationships between family and friends can also trigger eating disorders. Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder also tends to develop among those who do not have feelings of inadequacy, depression, anxiety and loneliness. In a sense, eating disorders are most likely to develop among those who have no strong and dependable relationships.
Events such as separation or divorce of parents and death of a close relative or friend are also known to trigger eating disorders. Incidences such as rape molestation and abortion as well as being a victim of slander can also drive eating disorder.