Many theories abound as to what is the cause of eating disorder and there are many interwoven factors that may be attributed to it though there is no simple answer that would adequately answer why a person has an eating disorder. For different people different factors may come into play and all of them together combine in producing starving, stuffing as well as purging.
More Possible Causes
Some researchers have recently found that genetic factors may be the reason why an estimated more than half of the population may develop the risk of contracting anorexic nervosa and more studies on the genetics of bulimia as well as binge eating are ongoing.
Another cause of eating disorder may be temperament of the person which is at least partially genetically determined and there are a number of personality types like the obsessive-compulsive or sensitive-avoidant who are more at risk of having an eating disorder, than are other people.
Recent studies as well as research reveals that factors like genetic ones predispose many people to have anxiety, perfectionism as well as obsessive-compulsive thoughts as well as behaviors. Such people may have more eating disorders than others and a person whose mother or sister have had anorexia nervosa are more than ten times as likely to have this disease than others who do not have a family history.
In addition, the cause of eating disorder may also be in regards to women who have developed anorexia nervosa and who thus have too much activity in the dopamine receptors located in their brains and these in turn, regulates pleasure. This may be one of the causes of eating disorder.
There are also instances when a person begins to starve stuff or purge them and such behaviors may alter the chemistry of the brain thus prolonging the disorder. There are also studies that suggest there is a biological link that connects stress and the urge to eat and this may be found in comfort foods that are high in sugar, fat as well as calories and which act to becalm the responses of the body towards chronic stress.
There is also another point worth considering when thinking about the cause of eating disorder and that is that hormones that are produced when a person is stressed help to form fat cells. Especially, in Western civilizations where life is competitive, quick paced as well as demanding and full of stress there may be a link between this type of modern lifestyle and the increased instances of overeating.
