Causes

People often want to know. “How did this happen?” While there is no single set of risk factors that can be conclusively linked to eating disorders, sometimes there are hints. For example, many adolescents and adults exhibit some unhealthy eating behaviors, such as skipping meals and eliminating food groups. Other behaviors are more serious, and can be diagnosed as eating disorders.

Factors that may influence the development of eating disorders include the following.

• Society’s expectations of thinness and unhealthy body image. The media perpetuates the ideal of thinness and the belief that, "The thinner you are, the happier you are." As people overhear conversations about the newest diet, weight loss and negative body image, the real message continues to be, "A person's physical appearance is more important than what is inside."
• Dysfunctional eating. About $40 billion is spent each year on weight-loss products and programs in the United States. Despite this, 95 percent of diets fail to produce permanent weight loss. In fact, most dieters gain weight after discontinuing the diet. Weight gain triggers feelings of failure, low self-esteem, disappointment and more pressure to find another quick-fix diet.

Read about signs and symptoms.