5 Ways Eating Disorders Develop, 5 Ways to Heal

         Researchers and investigators have been determined to understand the etiology of eating disorders. Much has been learned about the disorders, however, one question has remained unresolved, is culture the cause or genes? There is no question in the minds of many that our culture plays a significant role in the cause and prevalence of bulimia and anorexia in our country. Approaching this problem from a cultural standpoint has yielded some interesting results.  In the textbook titled Abnormal Psychology: An Integrated Approach, written by Barlow and Durand an example is given of two groups of women, 50 Egyptian women in London attending college and 60 Egyptian women in Cairo attending college; 12% of the women in London developed an eating disorder and zero women in Cairo developed an eating disorder. This gives credence to the supposition that women in a culture that puts extreme emphasis on a thin body image will develop an eating disorder.

         However, there is also evidence from genetic researchers that also gives credence to their point of view on the genesis of eating disorders. For example, genetic research has also shown that those with a family member or relative with an eating disorder are four to five times more likely to develop an eating disorder themselves than the general public. Yet efforts to pinpoint which gene or group of genes that contribute to this disorder have failed. Some suppose that it’s not necessarily a disposition to the eating disorder itself, but a genetic disposition to personality traits that are vulnerable to eating disorders.

         A person with the personality traits such as perfectionism, emotional instability and poor impulse control comes into contact with life stressors and is in a thin body image driven culture can lead to the development of a eating disorder. What we can can now conclude that it is not the presence of one of these factor, but the combination of them that lead to the development of an eating disorder. As you can see this approach gives the strongest explanatory power by considering all the factors and not limiting our perspective to just on or the other. One must take into account culture, genetics, family environment, personality type, and stressors, these factors give a full picture of the nature of the disorder.

Factors that Lead to Eating Disorders:

1. Media influences dissatisfaction with one's body and has been linked with an increase in eating disorders in the general population

2. Genes inherited from family members increases the likelihood of 

3. Personality factors such as perfectionism, emotional instability and poor impulse control, lead to developing an eating disorder

4. Stressors can trigger dangerous eating behaviors (among people who struggle with the disorder)

5. Dissatisfaction with one's body encouraged by one's family environment

Ways to Avoid Developing an Eating Disorder:

1. Challenge hidden values communicated through the media

2. Limit your media consumption

3. Face family-of-Origin issues

4. Develop healthy coping mechanisms for stressors

5. Learn new ways of thinking and behaving that are healthy, either through counseling, support groups and or self-help material

Reference

 Barlow, David H. & Durand, V. Mark (2008).   Abnormal Psychology: An Integrated Approach, CengageNOW™

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