Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are complex conditions that can arise from a variety of potential causes.

Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating include extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues. They are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for females and males. While eating issues may begin with preoccupations with food and weight, they are most often about much more than food.

Media images that help to create cultural definitions of beauty and attractiveness are often acknowledged as being among those factors contributing to the rise of eating problems. Media messages screaming �thin is in� may not directly cause eating disorders, but they help to create the context within which people learn to place a value on the size and shape of their body. To the extent that media messages like advertising and celebrity spotlights help our culture define what is beautiful and what is �good,� the media�s power over our development of self-esteem and body image can be incredibly strong.

It is important to remember that every body is different. We all have different genetics. Even if everyone started eating the same things and did the same amount of exercise for a whole year, we would not all look the same at the end of the year. This is because each person�s genetics influence their bone structure, body size, shape, and weight differently.

Most of all, avoid comparing your body with your friends� bodies or the people you see in advertisements or on your favorite TV shows. If you do start to compare yourself to others, try to remember that we are all naturally different which means we all have special qualities about us.

Eating disorders are complex conditions that arise from a combination of long-standing behavioral, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, and social factors. People with eating problems often use food and the control of food in an attempt to compensate for feelings and emotions that may otherwise seem over-whelming. For some, dieting, binging and purging may begin as a way to cope with painful emotions and to feel in control of one�s life, but ultimately, these behaviors will damage a person�s physical and emotional health, self-esteem, and sense of competence and control.

Psychological Factors

Low self-esteem
Feelings of inadequacy or lack of control in life
Depression, anxiety, anger, or loneliness

Interpersonal Factors

Troubled family and personal relationships
Difficulty expressing emotions and feelings
History of being teased or ridiculed based on size or weight
History of physical or sexual abuse

Social Factors

Cultural pressures that glorify "thinness" and place value on obtaining the "perfect body"
Narrow definitions of beauty that include only women and men of specific body weights and shapes
Cultural norms that value people on the basis of physical appearance and not inner qualities and strengths

Other Factors

Scientists are still researching possible biochemical or biological causes of eating disorders. In some individuals with eating disorders, certain chemicals in the brain that control hunger, appetite, and digestion have been found to be imbalanced. The exact meaning and implications of these imbalances remains under investigation.
Eating issues often run in families.

Eating disorders are complex conditions that can arise from a variety of potential causes. Once started, however, they can create a self-perpetuating cycle of physical and emotional destruction. All eating issues require professional help. Puberty and adolescence are difficult enough; adding an eating problem makes it doubly difficult for the parent who may already feel overwhelmed. Helping Your Child Overcome an Eating Disorder: What You Can Do at Home shows parents how to talk with their children about this touchy subject, access the latest cognitive-behavioral techniques, deal with eating and exercise in the home, find a good therapist, and take charge of ensuring a child�s recovery.

To Return to Parenting Issues, Click here

ABOUT US - PRIVACY POLICY - DISCLAIMER - CONTACT US