How do you get an Eating Disorder?

There are thousands of kids who develop different eating disorders every year. In a developed country such as America, 1 in 100 kids are seen to fight their battles with an eating disorder. Disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are potentially life threatening and are known to cause serious complications in the loves of people. These complications range from both physical and mental to physiological issues, and are known to cause rather major side effects on the life of those who deal with them. But why do these disorders happen? Why are they getting so common among teenagers? Let’s take a look over the factors which are making individuals susceptible to hearing disorders-

Genetics- There have been many researches on the role which genetics play into these kind of psychological diseases, and many of these have had a similar conclusion which said that genetics do play a major role in transferring such tendencies to generations. Eating disorders were found to be run in families, especially among identical twins rather than in fraternal twins or other siblings. There are specific genes which are found to carry such diseases. No clear cut solution has been found regarding the genes yet.

Biochemistry- People who suffer with eating disorders are also known to have an excess amount of chemicals in their bodies. These chemicals are those which are known to control bodily things such as appetite, hunger, mood and stress. Chemicals such as cortisol and serotonin, which are known to increase stress levels in an individual’s body are also being directly linked to eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. The issues relating to biochemistry can be treated with the help of medicines. Exercise might also go a long way in helping to create the perfect biochemical balance.

Psychological Behaviors- There are many psychological factors which are being directly linked to extremities in eating behaviors. A common cause of eating disorders has been the loss of someone close. Other psychological issues such as sadness, obsessions and anxiety are also known to cause these disorders. Psychological factors are known to be the most common cause of eating disorders among teenagers, and are directly linked to personality issues such as low confidence in oneself, loneliness, hopelessness, emotional breakdown and perfectionism among others.

Modern Lifestyle and Culture- The 21^st century culture is known to have an adverse effect on the eating habits of the people, especially among the teenagers. Concepts such as dieting, the need of a zero sized body figure among girls, and a want of thin and lean body among boys is thought to be a major cause of eating disorders among people in the young age group. There have been some researches which have shown that the rate of dissatisfaction with their physique is quite high among the millennials, and this has contributed directly in contributing towards promoting extreme eating habits. One can also blame the society and the media for portraying fitness in such as way which has made the consumption of high carbohydrate dishes a sin.

Environment- The environment in and around you is also a major factor which contributes towards the promotion of eating disorders among people. People who are poor, or people who start manual physical work at an early age succumb to these diseases rather easily. Also, people in a higher income bracket tend to give in to issues such as abuse, a tough childhood, fat shaming, false sense of independence and peer pressure. These factors are known to contribute majorly to eating disorders of different kinds.

Conclusion-

One major things that has been noticed by health experts is that there is a huge chunk of population today who has already succumbed to eating disorders, but surprisingly they are unaware of that. In fact, for most people no such thing as an eating disorder exists. This factor has been a major hindrance in tackling eating disorders. Before we even begin to talk about curing them, there is a big need to spread awareness about them, especially among the teenagers. They are known to suffer the most from these disorders. One must review the modern societal norms while including lessons about personality development in a child’s education from an early age. Remember that every issue has a cure. One just needs the right approach.