Risk Factors

Im glad to know im not the only one with this obsession. I did a huge research project on eating disorders and what influences them. I mainly focused on media sources but while researching I did find that many scientists are believing theres a genetic predispostion to it. weird right? Also people that are cheerleaders, runners, and swimmers are more likely to try unhealthy weight loss methods. There was a lot of stuff I learned. Basically through the research I found what made me most vulnerable to ed's and thats the fact that my mom was always dieting when I was younger. She derived her self-worth from that and it taught me thats the only way to be happy. Another factor was nobody every gave me compliments of oh your so smart and witty the only said oh wow your so skinny or oh wow your so pretty which seems like a good thing until once I ot over 100 pounds I was terrified nobody would think these things of me So around 6-7th grade I started dabbling with purging, restricting, and dieting.
Below is a list of some factors that could have contributed to the development of problems.

Psychological Factors

* Low self-esteem
* Feelings of inadequacy
* Incidence of depression or anxiety
* Fear of the responsibility of adulthood
* A belief that love from family & friends is dependent on high achievement
* Poor communication between family members, or the reluctance of parents to allow appropriate degrees of independence as children mature
* Difficulty expressing emotions and feelings, particularly ‘negative’ emotions such as anger, sadness, anxiety or fear
* Ineffective coping strategies
* Perfectionism
* Fear or avoidance of conflict
* Competitiveness
* Impulsive or obsessive behaviours
* A need to please others
* Highly concerned with the opinions of others
* Prone to extremes, such as ‘black and white’ thinking

Social Factors

* Cultural value placed on ‘thinness’ as an inextricable part of beauty
* Current cultural emphasis on the need for a ‘perfect body’
* Valuing of people according to outward appearance and not inner qualities
* Media and popular culture's portrayal of men and women's shapes and bodies that are not representative of ‘real’ men and women
* Pressure to achieve and succeed
* Professions with an emphasis on body shape and size (eg. dancers, models, athletes)

Physiological/ biological Factors

* Scientists are currently researching possible biochemical and biological factors and their role in the development of eating disorders. Research has indicated that in some people with eating disorders there is an imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain
* Adolescence and the associated physical, hormonal and neural changes
* Genetic or familial factors, for example a person who is exposed to a parent or sibling with an eating disorder is at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder themselves. While no conclusive outcome has been reached, research has provided evidence that in some cases this is due to genetic predisposition - rather than just learned behaviour

External Factors

* Life events, particularly those involving major changes (loss of a family member or friend, the divorce or separation of parents, moving schools or jobs)
* Dieting
* Peer pressure
* Inability to effectively deal with stress, whereby a person lacks adequate stress-management strategies
*Personal or family history of obesity, depression, substance abuse or eating disorders
*Troubled personal or family relationships
*Sexual or physical abuse
*History of teasing or bullying, particularly when based on weight or shape