Causes of Eating Disorder

People with eating disorders tend to be perfectionist. They have unrealistic expectations of themselves and others. In spite of their many achievements, they feel inadequate and defective. In addition, they see the world as black and white, no shades of gray. Everything is good or bad, a success or a failure, fat or thin. If fat is bad and thin is good, then thinner is better and thinnest is best -- even if thinnest is sixty-eight pounds in a hospital bed on life support.

The one trait that is obviously apparent in all sufferers of an Eating Disorder is their low self-esteem. Often they feel as though they are not good enough, that they never do anything right, that they are scrutinized by others for their appearance, and that their lives would get better if they could just lose weight. Sufferers can feel like they do not deserve to be happy, that they do not deserve good things to happen to them, and that they don't deserve to have anything but what is felt as a miserable existence.

Eating disorders not otherwise specified include behaviors such as chronic dieting, purging and binge-eating, which do not meet the full criteria for a specific eating disorder; they are two to five times as common as the clinical eating disorders.

In addition to eating disorders, preoccupation with weight and body image, and self-concept disturbances, are more prevalent among women than men. Personal, behavioral and socio-environmental factors, such as negative body image, low self-esteem, fear of becoming fat, chronic dieting and social pressures to be thin, are identified risk factors.

People with binge eating disorder are usually very upset by their binge eating and may become depressed. Research has shown that people with binge eating disorder report more health problems, stress, trouble sleeping, and suicidal thoughts than people without an eating disorder. People with binge eating disorder often feel badly about themselves and may miss work, school, or social activities to binge eat.

Eating disorders are devastating psychological illnesses caused by a variety of factors including family pressure, biochemical factors, possible genetic susceptibility and cultural influences. In the following short essay I will be discussing the possible causes and treatments available according to different psychological models regarding eating disorders.

Many people with eating disorders also can be depressed or anxious, or have other mental health problems such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). There is also evidence that eating disorders may run in families. Although part of this may be our in genes, it's also because we learn our values and behaviors from our families.

Modern Western culture often cultivates and reinforces a desire for thinness. Although most people who have binge-eating disorder are overweight, they're acutely aware of their body shape and appearance and berate themselves after eating binges. Some people with binge-eating disorder have a history of being sexually abused.

People with anorexia, or certain forms of depression, seem to have higher than normal levels of cortisol, a brain hormone released in response to stress. It has been shown that the excess levels of cortisol in both persons with anorexia and in persons with depression are caused by a problem that occurs in or near the hypothalamus of the brain.

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