Many people wonder why some people develop eating disorders and others don’t. Perhaps you have some of the known characteristics, yet you did not get one. Of course there is the interplay between nature and nurture. Some people may be more genetically predisposed to have an eating disorder. Click here https://debbiegrammas.com/blog/7-signs-eating-disorder/ if you missed last weeks blog on how to tell if you may have an eating disorder. Research does show that if one family member develops one, then other family members are more likely. Here are some factors that play into the development of an eating disorder.
Biological
Certain personality types are often seen such as obsessive-compulsive, perfectionist and anxious. People with these personality traits tend to be more rigid in their thinking and have specific rules to decrease anxiety. They may want to look perfect and have a distorted or unrealistic view of what that might look like. Some genes have also been isolated that increase your risk for anorexia.
Psychological
These people tend to look at things in black and white thinking. Foods are labelled as good and bad. If you eat from the bad food list you may feel bad about yourself. You may purge your food or over exercise to compensate. One with an eating disorder has unrealistic expectations about what his or her body should look like. Control is a key trait. You have ultimate control of what you eat. No one can force you to eat something you don’t want to. Often times a person with an eating disorder feels that their life is chaotic and out of control. This is one way to keep control. Another major factor is lack of identity. Many clients I have worked with have stated that their eating disorder gives them an identity. It is a way they stand out from others. It makes them unique.
Certain family patterns
Perhaps there are some unique food patterns. Mom or dad may be smothering or neglecting. People in the family may make critical remarks about someone’s body. I worked with a client who was at a lower end of a healthy body weight, and even though she looked the same when younger, her parents would buy her running shoes and exercise clothing as Christmas gifts, giving her the message that she was not OK the way she was. Family systems with high expectations can also play a role. Perhaps these expectations are unrealistic, or the rules are inflexible.
Social
Your friendship group plays a role in the way you feel about yourself. You may feel that you have to look perfect, or perhaps you don’t measure up if your friends are appearance obsessed. The same thing can be said for your partner. If he or she makes disparaging remarks about your body, the effects can be devastating.
Cultural
Unrealistic demands for thinness. Genetically, not everyone one is thin. Most people will never be able to meet these cultural expectations. Yet this is what our culture determines is beautiful.
Messages from the media
The notion is that successful people are thin and happy. First of all, most of the media portrays unrealistic, air-brushed/photo-shopped images. Yet it gives the appearance that people look perfect. Do you know of people who are thin that are not successful and not happy?
Triggers
Something as innocuous as being teased or as devastating as rape. Dieting that has gone too far is the most common trigger.
Here a some of the factors that may make you vulnerable to an eating disorder. Just because you possess some or all of these traits doesn’t mean you will get one. If you are concerned about some of these issues, please give me a call at 713-304-6554 and we can determine if therapy will be helpful for you.
Take care,
Debbie Grammas, PhD
