Recently I attended a seminar on eating disorders. In the U.S. it is estimated that 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of becoming fat.91% of college women surveyed in 2001 had attempted to control their weight through dieting. Annually, Americans spend over $40 billion on dieting and diet-related products.
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Cultural
There are cultural values that may emphasize self and body. One may equate thinness with beauty and happiness.
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Family
One may develop eating disorders if there is a family history of it. The family as a whole may be overinvested in food, diet, weight, appearance, or physical fitness.
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Individual
Female adolescents are most common. There may be a history of being overweight as a child. The person may have low self-esteem, feelings of worthlessness and/or of ineffectiveness.
