Eating Disorders Causes & Risk Factors
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Genetics do play a role in how likely one is to develop an eating disorder, but environment is a factor, too. By environment experts mean one's sociocultural environment that may include the people around one, the media to which one is exposed, current fashions and of course dieting activities.
One way to think about the risk for developing an eating disorder is to say that genetics load the gun, but environment pulls the trigger. Someone can't change her genes, but she can change certain things in the environment that influence whether she expresses her genetic predisposition. For that reason, in treating eating disorders, doctors tend to work with families to focus on making healthy changes in a person's environment rather than to blame someone's family or genes for causing the eating disorder. Overcoming eating disorders can be a challenge, and in meeting this challenge, a family can be one's best ally.
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It's tempting to blame psychological problems or an unhealthy family dynamic when someone develops an eating disorder -- but researchers say that the real reasons are very different. In this video, Dr. Walter Kaye, of NORMAL nonprofit, discusses the biological underpinnings of this dangerous problem.
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The cause of eating disorders is not known at this time. However, studies have suggested a number of things that could possibly add to your risk for an eating disorder. The most obvious factor in Western culture is the fact that the media portrays successful people as extremely thin. Children and adolescents are exposed to this constantly and learn to associate their self-worth with their weight. Another factor in the development of an eating disorder is other mental issues, such as depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem. Lastly, genetics or the levels of certain chemicals in your brain (serotonin) may also play a role in causing eating disorders.
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Approximately 63% of all female athletes develop symptoms of an eating disorder in high school. Female athletes report higher frequencies of eating disorders than male athletes. The research has found that athletes, compared with non-athletes, may have higher frequencies of disordered eating than others with eating disorders. A significant percentage of athletes engaged in disordered eating show symptoms such as binge eating, rigorous dieting, fasting, and vomiting. Eating disorders among athletes tend have a sport specific prevalence. Eating disorders occur more often in gymnasts and wrestlers than in archery or basketball.
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No, definitely not. There is more and more pressure for guys to have the "inverted Y " shape with the broad shoulders and narrow waist. The men’s magazines are just as dangerous as the women's telling guys how they should look. Men have a 0.3% lifetime prevalence of eating disorders. The pressure for wrestlers, jockeys, runners and other athletes to keep weight at a certain level is huge. I have provided information to football teams because it is not unusual for the players to gain 50-80lbs during off-season. This is not only dangerous to their health but to their ability to perform. It is now more acceptable for men to be honest about their struggles and to get help.
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Eating disorders are more common in women than men. However, men account for approximately five to 15 percent of people with anorexia and bulimia. The percentage of men who have binge eating disorder is even higher - as many as 35 percent of all cases are in men or boys.
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Athletes, especially in "make-weight" sports, are particularly vulnerable to developing eating disorders. "Make-weight" sports are either formal (you must achieve a certain scale weight to compete in a weight class like wrestling or boxing) or informal (i.e. the culture of the sport imposes a particular body aesthetic like gymnastics or dance). Sometimes, coaches, family members, and others may encourage teens in certain sports to try to achieve an unhealthy weight or physique and to shed body fat at a time when they are biologically destined to gain it. If you participate in these sports, you should be extra vigilant to protect your health and body first, and keep the demands of the sport in perspective. If you think you are being influenced by the sport (or coach), seek the help of a guidance counselor, nurse, or parent with whom you can share your concerns.
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Sleep-related eating disorder (SRED) is a quite a mystery and the cause elusive. Many people with SRED started out as sleepwalkers or have been diagnosed with another sleep disorder, which points to a defect in sleep centers as the root cause.
Sleep is an extremely complicated biological process influenced by hormones and intertwined feedback systems. When the mechanism that controls wakefulness and sleep during a normal sleep cycles fails, a person can remain "asleep" but continue to walk, eat, or perform other activities (some people get in their cars and drive!). And paradoxically, SRED can also be brought on by certain sleep medications, which some people take to help them fall and stay asleep.
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Eating disorders occur among people with diabetes just as they do in the general population. Some researchers believe that individuals with diabetes may have an increased risk for eating disorders because they have to pay more attention to what they eat. Unfortunately, in our society, the self-worth of many people comes from having a “perfect” body. Some people resort to extreme measures to get or stay thin.
There are two main eating disorders: anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Each has a distinct set of warning signs. Both disorders stress the body and deny it the necessary nutrients.
People with diabetes and eating disorders are likely to have more episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis (type 1 diabetes) and hypoglycemia, and their A1C levels tend to be higher. They are also at higher risk for diabetes complications because their blood glucose is high.
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Eating disorders probably developed as a survival mechanism; in times of famine, the group would need to migrate (think run on the treadmill for a prolonged period of time) with little to eat (induced starvation) until they found a better living situation. It was in each person’s best interest to survive the famine. When food was plentiful, it made sense physiologically to store some nuts up for the winter, or develop extra padding, to survive the next famine. That’s why fertility goddesses are all roly-poly, as fertility would not occur in the starved state, but only in times of plenty. And now that we have no sabertooth tigers to outrun, and most developed countries have plenty of food so no induced famine, nature seems to be activating that gene at the most inopportune times, with kids or adults creating similar starvation and over exercising patterns in an unhealthy way. Adaptive now? Not so much. Detrimental to health and well-being? Definitely.
