Naming The Different Causes Of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are abnormal conditions in relation to the eating habits of a person. This condition can be manifested by inappropriate food intake or over-eating on a regular basis. According to the recent survey, there are over 8 million women and 1.5 million of men who are suffering from different kinds of eating disorders. This figure is still increasing over time. Moreover, eating disorders can be fatal to one's health that can cause serious health complication if not properly treated or managed.
Many individuals are experiencing this kind of disorders; however did you know where eating disorders start from? Every health condition, may it be simple or complex, originated from some significant factors.
Biological Factor
One of the primary causes of eating disorders can be related to biological factors such as genetics, biochemical, elevated autoimmune, and such.
• Genetics – Numerous clinical investigations are tracing eating disorders from inherited genes. This means that this type of disorder can be genetically handed down from generation to generation. Identical twins who both acquire the condition can definitely be traced or linked to genetic factors. If only one develops the condition, then other factors may be involved.
• Biochemical – This can also be considered as one of the many major components of eating disorders that belong to biological factor. Eating patterns or behaviors are controlled by the neuroendocrine system in which HPA-axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal-axis) transmits and releases the abnormal or dysregulation of hormones or neurotransmitters. One of the examples of biochemical is serotonin, a neurotransmitter that can manifest depression. Depression for some individuals can trigger eating disorders.
• Tumors – There have been clinical evidence that some patients that have tumors can manifest symptoms of eating disorders. Tumors can affect some parts of the brain and it can also cause modifications in the person’s eating patterns or mindset in some cases.
Environmental Factor
Another factor related to the causes of eating disorders can be acquired through environmental factors. Eating disorders can be considered as a response to certain environmental stimuli. Good environment can help mold a person to grow and develop good traits. In reality, there are environments that can also trigger many negative traits and behavior. Environmental factors that can affect a person are categorized as peer pressure, parent maltreatment, family influence, social isolation and culture influences.
Personal Traits
According to some studies, there are individuals that suffer from eating disorders as early as childhood because of their personal traits. Eventually, eating disorders progresses or gets worse as the person grows up. Low self-esteem, perfectionism, intelligence, impulsivity, and obsession are some examples of personal traits of a person that can affect eating disorder. Personal traits in eating disorder are triggered by physical changes, family relationship, socio-cultural changes, and expectation on one's self.
Psychological Factors
Psychological factors can also be a predisposing factor in the cause eating disorders. Every person has different coping mechanisms. There are some individuals who can adjust positively with regards to stress, guilt, sadness, anger, alcohol intake and such. However, for those people who cannot easily adjust, they may develop eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder.
Psychological factors can also be triggered and associated with environmental and biological factors. In addition, excessive intake of alcohol and drug abuse can affect one’s perception and can result to changes of eating patterns, which can lead to eating disorders.
Eating disorders are becoming common these days brought forth by stressful lifestyles and societal influences that compound genetic potentials, psychological predispositions, personal traits and environmental factors. These different causes of eating disorders are essentially hyped these days so that the health of this generation is compromised.
