Eating disorders, such as anorexia, are complex conditions that can develop from a prolonged combination of emotional, psychological, interpersonal, social, and behavioral factors.
When talking about risk factors for anorexia , it is difficult to establish common parameters responsible for this eating disorder, mainly due to its psychological component and the great variation in signs and symptoms between some patients and others. That is, scientists are still investigating the factors that can contribute to the development of anorexia.
The good news is that some risk factors for eating disorders have been discovered over the years that can be identified at an early age, such as low body weight in children.
What is anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa, or simply known as "anorexia," is an eating disorder characterized by abnormally low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and distorted perception of weight.
For people with anorexia it is very important to control their weight and body shape. In order to avoid gaining weight or continuing to lose weight, anorexics often overly restrict the amount of food they eat. They may even vomit after eating or using laxatives and dietary supplements, and in many cases exercising excessively.
How to treat anorexia?
In reality, this is a very difficult disorder to treat, because no matter how much you lose weight, there is always the fear of gaining it. Therefore, it is not so much about food, but a way of trying to cope with emotional problems.
Anorexia, like other eating disorders, can take control of your life and become very difficult to cope with, but with treatment you can gain a better perception of who you are, return to healthier eating habits, and reverse some of the serious complications caused by anorexia.
Risks of low body weight in children
A new study has found that a low body mass index in boys and girls between the ages of two and four can be a risk factor for the development of anorexia nervosa in adolescence. It also found that a high body mass index can lead to another type of eating disorder, such as bulimia, binge eating disorder, and purging disorder (Yilmaz, Gottfredson, Zerwas, Bulik & Micali, 2019).
Zeynep Yilmaz, assistant professor of psychiatry and genetics, says that by looking at the growth records of thousands of children, they have seen early warning profiles that could indicate to children that they are at risk. In turn, he assured that although eating disorders are psychiatric in nature, it is also necessary to consider metabolic risk factors along with psychological, sociocultural and environmental components.
On the other hand, the distinguished professor of eating disorders, Cynthia Bulik, emphasizes that pediatricians must be alert to those children with distorted body mass levels , either because they are below normal or above, since both are prone to different disorders food.
Other risk factors for anorexia
Psychological factors
- Perfectionism
- Anxiety or depression
- Difficulties with regulating emotions.
- Obsessive and compulsive behaviors.
Sociocultural factors
- Promote an “ideal of thinness” in the culture.
- Prejudices about weight and size.
- Emphasis on diets.
Biological factors
- Having a close family member with an eating disorder.
- Family or personal history of depression, anxiety, or addiction.
- Presence of allergies that contribute to restrictive or picky eating habits (such as celiac disease).
conclusion
Risk factors are those that facilitate the appearance of eating disorders. They can be individual, group and social. The combination of these different risk factors can lead to the development and maintenance of the disease.
Despite the worrying number of people suffering from some type of eating disorder, scientists and researchers are still feverishly trying to find methods that will help prevent or at least completely eliminate their existence in people.
References
- Bulik, C., Gottfredson, N., Micali, N., Yilmaz, Z. and Zerwas, S. (2018). Developmental Premorbid Body Mass Index Trajectories of Adolescents With Eating Disorders in a Longitudinal Population Cohort. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. doi: 10.1016 / j.jaac.2018.11.008
