The Cause of Eating Disorders?

Scientific factors

As well as psychological, personal and social contributions there are scientific factors that can in add the underlying reasons behind eating disorders. Scientists are currently studying biochemical/biological differences in people with eating disorders. For example some were found to have an imbalance of a chemical in the brain that controls hunger. This occurs at the hypothalamus which is responsible for metabolic processes. The exact implication of this imbalance and its relation to eating disorders is yet to be explored and defined.

However it may explain how people differ in terms of what eating disorder they may adopt, some people respond to stress with loss of appetite and others with gain of appetite. Most people with bulimia start their disorder with restricted eating to lose weight. Upon failing diets or fasts they then turn to purging, this maybe because of an increase in appetite during a stressful period in their life. If the chemical imbalance in the hypothalamus induced loss of appetite, they would more than likely take on anorexic tendencies rather than resorting to purging (which then initiates a binge/purge cycle=Bulimia).

Additional triggers;

•Loss of someone close or whom is considered a ‘significant other’ (this can cause emotions seemingly overwhelming to deal with).

•Changes in environment, for example parent’s divorce, moving, or changing school.

•Body fat percentage calculations, BMI and use of skin fold callipers. Such testing carried out in high school is a trigger as results as not based on lean mass. It can cause humiliation in front of peers and inflict a distorted self image and self perpetuating feelings upon an individual.

•Depression; this can as mentioned above either take away or increase appetite. If appetite taken away, weight loss occurs which then leads to friends making comments and the weight then becoming an obsession. If appetite increases the individual is susceptible to compulsive eating disorder, bulimia nervosa or binging.

•Parents who are on a specific diet such as the Atkins diet. This causes the whole family to be obsessed with calorie intake.

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