Eating disorders

What causes eating disorders?

Eating disorders are often blamed on the social pressure to be thin, as young people in particular feel they should look a certain way. However, the causes are usually more complex.

An eating disorder may be associated with biological, genetic or environmental factors combined with a particular event that triggers the disorder. There may also be other factors that maintain the illness.

Risk factors that can increase the likelihood of a person having an eating disorder include:

having a family history of eating disorders, depression or substance misuse
being criticised for their eating habits, body shape or weight
being overly concerned with being slim, particularly if combined with pressure to be slim from society or fora job for example, ballet dancers, models or athletes
certain underlying characteristics for example, having an obsessive personality, an anxiety disorder , low self-esteem or being a perfectionist
particular experiences, such as sexual or emotional abuse or the death of someone special
difficult relationships with family members or friends
stressful situations for example, problems at work, school or university

Medically Reviewed by a doctor on 21 Dec 2018

Articles for eating disorders

Introduction

Read about the different types of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating, as well as what causes them and the treatments available.

Types of eatingdisorders

Eating disorders include a range of conditions that can affect someone physically, psychologically and socially. The most common eating disorders are: Anorexia nervosa when a person tries to keep

What causes eating disorders?

Eating disorders are often blamed on the social pressure to be thin, as young people in particular feel they should look a certain way. However, the causes are usually more complex. An eating disorde

Do I have an eating disorder?

Doctors sometimes use a questionnaire to help identify people who may have an eating disorder. The questionnaire asks the following five questions: Do you make yourself sick because you feel uncomfo

Spotting an eating disorder in others

It can often be very difficult toidentify that a loved one or friend has developed an eating disorder. Warning signs to look out for include: missing meals complaining of being fat, even though th

Who's affected byeating disorders?

A 2015 report commissioned by Beat estimates more than 725,000 peoplein the UK are affected by an eating disorder. Eating disorders tend to be more common in certain age groups, but they can affect pe

Treating eating disorders

Ifan eating disorder isn'ttreated, it can have a negative impact on someone's job or schoolwork, and can disrupt relationships with family members and friends. The physical effects of an eating disord

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