What factors can contribute psychologically to eating disorders?

I am writing a social science essay on the contributing factors of eating disorders (ex. media) and I need to write it in a thesis to help me further my research for the essay. Any help is welcome :)

From people around us. We are easily influenced, and believe what we see. Media plays a huge role in this, as the majority of population believes the repeated image. Soon, everyone is affected, and the masses build eating disorders, such as anorexia, and bulimia.

People want to look like the models on television, and try to transform themselves. Or maybe their parents/peers are pressurizing them to change their appearance. They might also have complex regarding their figure.

If you had said in general, then it'd be passed on from birth, family history, etc.

10 Responses to “What factors can contribute psychologically to eating disorders?”

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  1. Pathankrious Shark. says:

    So, To gain something(look thin, or want to be fat), To express their feelings(Emotional rebound), or they learned to do it from someone else(Parental eating habits).
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  2. ARTTM_YBY says:

    i dont know like medicly, but i had a friend whose parents called her fat non stop untill she just stopped eating and became anorexic…. shes getting better now but it was horrible
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  3. kiss me, im vegetarian says:

    im sort of confused, but I think peer pressure would be one. like for me i used to be bulimic, but thankfully am better now. what sort of got me going was how my friends would always be like "ugh i'm so fat" but i felt I was bigger than them, and if that was the case, then i must be a whale.
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  4. kwinto_katie says:

    Low self esteem due to self attack or attack from others emotionally either in the past or present. Parents who do not represent a positive body image of their own to their children. Genetics has also been found as a factor because disorders tend to run in families.
    References :
    taken 3 courses of college level psychology

  5. gashlycrumbt1ny says:

    Family issues. Stress. Pressure to be "perfect". Low self-esteem and poor body image. Having little time to yourself and thus little time to just sit and eat a meal. Drug use, especially stimulants. Abuse. A traumatic experience, like sexual assault. Then there are the old pressures to be the best in things like modeling, dance, or a sport. I think the media doesn't help, but I also don't think it's ever the sole cause of an eating disorder.
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  6. Yahoo Help says:

    From people around us. We are easily influenced, and believe what we see. Media plays a huge role in this, as the majority of population believes the repeated image. Soon, everyone is affected, and the masses build eating disorders, such as anorexia, and bulimia.

    People want to look like the models on television, and try to transform themselves. Or maybe their parents/peers are pressurizing them to change their appearance. They might also have complex regarding their figure.

    If you had said in general, then it'd be passed on from birth, family history, etc.
    References :

  7. Cut2theChase says:

    1.) Low self esteem
    2.) Sleep disorders
    3.) Depression etc.
    4.) Stress
    References :

  8. The Lil' Windmill That Could says:

    Eating disorders are typically the direct result of poor body image. This comes from low self esteem. Generally females will develop these issues when they do not respect their own accomplishments and dreams. This thinking is likely exacerbated and reinforced by cultural images of beautiful and "successful" women as rail thin. Also, lack of support from friends or family could be a contributing factor.
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  9. Kindeyes says:

    Just about everything. Peer pressure, family members, Social pressures by the media at large. Your own self image. Brain disorders. Physical Illnesses of the rest of the body. Blood chemistry. Mental health issues. Genetics. Theses are not in any sort of order, just as they came to mind, I have been suffering from a eating disorder for decades before finally getting it under control.
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  10. Aquamarineshade says:

    I personally think that media is the least contributing factor to ED. EDs are self destructive behaviors and the reasons for having them go much deeper than "I ve seen it on TV".
    for me, top ones are:

    - General depression
    - Low self esteem
    - Feeling that one doesn't receive enough of attention
    - Dysfunctional behavior patterns in a family
    - Feeling that one can't have control over the events happening in one s environment (so one tries to extremely control oneself)
    - perfectionism
    - Abuse in the family or close environment

    and so on
    References :

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