What Are The Causes Of Anorexia?
- Do Relationships Cause Anorexia Nervosa?

Causes of anorexia and other eating disorders are dynamic and multi-dimensional. This means that the triggers for the illness are constantly changing in relation to the person's emotions and/or environment. With that in mind, trying to pinpoint a single cause of anorexia nervosa is futile.

Research has shown that a combination of society, individual predispositions and family relationships can all play a role in the development, maintenance and causes of anorexia or other eating disorders.

Add to that any stressful life events that will serve as anorexia triggers as a way of coping with change, conflict, developmental changes and trauma.

Once those life events take place, the wheels are set in motion.

The eating disorder is then perpetuated by a combination of personal experiences, such as family reactions, lack of support systems, bad experiences with treatment and so on.

What also needs to be considered is that, in my case, the anorexia brought with it its own biological complications with regards to starvation symptoms. It was pretty much like having two diseases working against me at the same time.

These factors just magnified the underlying problems and further entrenched me in my eating disorder.

Causes Of Anorexia In Society And Culture

Some people believe that the causes of anorexia are seen each day throughout our society and culture. The following are some examples of individual personality traits, traumatic stress and family factors that could be contributing factors to an eating disorder:

• Sociocultural - we are obsessed with thinness and weight loss


• Identity crisis - searching for an identity, "Where do I fit in?"


• Pro ana websites trigger further obsession with weight issues


• Eating disorders and the media battle it out in the promotion of cultural ideas of beauty - no fat allowed


• Personality disorders such as antisocial personality disorder


• Anorexia diet tips - the idea that a starvation diets will help you lose weight


• Friends or family members don't know how to help, or even how to fully understand the definition of anorexia

NOTE: Just because "family factors" are mentioned as one of the things that could contribute to anorexia, it DOES NOT mean that anyone is to blame!

Please stay focused on recovery and moving forward. Resist the urge to point fingers. NOBODY IS TO BLAME! ... except perhaps 'ED' ;)

Causes Of Anorexia - Can We Predict It?

There is no formal diagnostic criteria or test to predict the causes of anorexia, or whether or not someone will develop an eating disorder. However, studies show that there are some commonalities in the needs and features of people who have developed disordered eating patterns.

• Failure to develop trust or dependence on a parent
• Turning inward for re-assurance; introverted
• Feelings of emptiness, hopelessness
• Lack of identity of negative identity
• Perfectionism - an area where anorexia and genetics are linked
• The remarkable ability to hide all of the above with charming behavior and successful appearance

Again, please be cautioned against focusing on any single factor as being one of the causes of anorexia. Eating disorders are a cluster of symptoms that vary in degree and presentation. No one knows for sure what makes them happen, but we do know that there is hope!

Read about the psychological anorexia causes.

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