There are different theories regarding the cause of eating disorders (EDs). Triggers and causes for eating disorders are about more than just food. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, there are many causes which consist of: cultural and social (which includes the media), genetic, environmental, psychological, and biological factors.
Cultural and Social: The Media and Bullying
Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt said she has been called fat in magazines, even though she has never been larger than a size two. In an interview she said, “All they [teen girls] know is that they’re sitting at home, maybe four or five sizes bigger than me, and their role model is called a ‘big house.’ What does that do to them?”
The American Psychological Association stated, “The proliferation of sexualized images of girls and young women in advertising, merchandising, and media is harming girls’ self-image and healthy development.” Eating disorder specialist Dr. Gregory Jantz believes mass media messages and the body images set by the modeling and movie industries have affected the increase of EDs. Most American teenage girls say they feel pressured by the fashion and media industries to be skinny. They struggle when they look at themselves in the mirror. The fashion industry remains a powerful influence on girls and the way they view themselves and their bodies.
A survey of high school and college students revealed that both genders generally felt worse about their own bodies after reading fashion, sports, health, and fitness magazines.
Once these idolized perceptions are accepted as truth, such as “only thin people are successful,” self-destructive behaviors such as EDs, self-abuse, excessive exercising and other harmful behaviors may develop.
Described as “heroin for the eating disordered,” the media serves up misleading diet and body image information, along with airbrushed photos of impossible physical ideals. For most females, being tall, skinny, with big breasts and tight abs is just not doable. It creates a feeling of “I am inadequate and anything I can do will fall short. That doesn’t mean I won’t stop trying, by not eating and vomiting up what I do. But I’ll never reach my goal.” For males, most will never achieve the body builder or wiry rock star physique. Experts say this kind of thinking can lead to anxiety, depression, and a dangerously high level of active and passive suicide in self-harming because it sets up a self-loathing.
Studies suggest that exposure to gossip magazines increases the risk in adolescent boys and girls of using unhealthy eating behaviors, without their awareness of being influenced. PhysOrg.com also reported that teenagers who read celebrity gossip magazines are more likely to engage in eating disorder behaviors. Many professionals agree that when girls are constantly presented with perfect bodies that receive admiration for their beauty and success, there is a risk they will start to believe that having that perfect body is the only way to get all those highly desirable things.
According to a just-released report, as many as 65 percent of people with eating disorders say bullying contributed to their condition. The survey also found that 49 percent were less than 10-years-old when the bullying started and many stated that the effects had stayed with them into their 40s and 50s. Sadly, only 22 percent received help to overcome their bullying. Bullied at 13 for being fat, Marielle believes she’d be accepted into “the circle” if she were thin. She believes she was singled out and attacked about her size because “that’s all you see in magazines—thin women.”
This is a virus that is spreading through our culture causing great harm. We need to help young people understand that success, acceptance, lovability, and power does not depend on what body shape or size you are. It depends on other qualities such as the state of your heart, your mind, your character and values. As a mentor, create ongoing and positive dialogue. Show empathy—talk about your challenges with body image and what you went through as a teen. Help the teen feel good about themselves by encouraging them in areas they do well in. And, above all, love them unconditionally.
Genetic and Biological Factors
No doubt, our cultural ideals and celebrity icons are a breeding ground for negative body image and EDs. But blaming an ED solely on the media may minimize the seriousness of the illness. Consider that countless people go on a diet but only some spiral out of control. The reason may be genetics (still a complicated field being researched). A 2006 study in the Archives of General Psychiatry stated genetics accounts for approximately half of all EDs. Some studies have shown that if a relative has an ED, a person is more likely to develop one.
“We know that there are multiple genes and they are closely related to anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders,” said Dr. Ken Weiner, medical director for Eating Recovery Center. This genetic link means eating disorders, along with their associated brain diseases, can be inherited. “If your mother or your sister have [or had] anorexia and you are a young woman, you are twelve times more likely to have anorexia nervosa in your lifetime and four times more likely to have bulimia nervosa,” said Dr. Weiner.
Other studies suggest that faulty wiring in the brains of people with anorexia causes them to fail to recognize when they are hungry. They feel anxious and depressed when they do eat. For many bulimics, there is a definite “high” that comes with bingeing and purging.
Hormonal abnormalities are common in EDs and include chemical abnormalities in the thyroid, the reproductive regions, and areas related to stress, well-being, and appetite. Many of these chemical changes are certainly a result of malnutrition or other aspects of EDs, but they also may play a role in perpetuating or even creating susceptibility to the disorders.
Learned Behavior
Conscious of our weight, my friend Julie and I felt miserable—physically and emotionally, after gorging on left-overs from her parent’s dinner party. She said, “I know how we can feel better and not gain any weight.” I thought, Utopia! It was not. It was bulimia. I learned how to purge.
Many professionals believe EDs are a learned response. Some researchers state the desire to be thin is learned, perpetuated by media images. No doubt, friends hold a lot of power when it comes to persuasion, but Mom’s influence is even greater. According to experts, teenage girls whose moms are obsessed with physical appearance and regularly try to lose weight pass on their exercise and dieting rituals, and negative self and body image talk. While parental behavior does not cause an ED, they may unintentionally set off their child’s genetic susceptibility to develop one with negative body image modeling or critical remarks. There’s a bumper sticker that says, Friends don’t let friends “Fat Talk.”
You can help: Focus on healthy eating behaviors, not weight. Putting a child on a diet instead of focusing on healthy eating and exercise can be a trigger for disordered eating behaviors. Puberty is a critical phase in a child’s physical, mental and sexual growth. Abusing food and their body can lead to a complicated set of problems. They need to be on a healthy, balanced diet.
Words have power. Avoid comments like, “You’re eating too much. You’re gaining weight.” These are triggers. Instead, use “I” statements. “I’m concerned about your eating habits. It makes me think you have some pressures you’re unable to handle. Let’s talk.”
If you feel a teen should not have two scoops of ice-cream you can say, “It’s fun to treat ourselves once in a while. I love ice-cream, too. Unfortunately, having more than one scoop isn’t healthy for our bodies. If you like, you can have another, single scoop later on in the week.”
We need to teach kids that they are in control of what they eat and that we have faith in their judgment about their bodies. Therefore, it is important that we are informed on the subjects of food and nutrition and exercise ourselves. We want them to think, “Do I think this is a healthy and good choice for me?”
Trauma
Traumatic issues such as divorce, abuse or the loss of a loved one, or bullying, often play a major role in enabling eating disorders. One bulimic teen who had been sexually abused said she wanted to get rid of all those bad memories and toxic feelings by flushing them down the toilet.
An abused child learns that she or he is powerless. A way to cope is to find some way to take back power and control, and managing your weight can do that. Some girls will overeat in order to appear less attractive. Others will starve themselves until they look repulsive or like a small child. Talking about the abuse often marks a significant turning point in treatment. All secrets and pent-up emotions do is give the devil a place to unpack his bags.
Various events can be a trigger for a ED such as a friend’s death or bullying or sexual assault. Often it is a major life transition, such as going from high school to college or moving to another city or state. I’ve heard it said that moving to a new school for many kids is the equivalent to dealing with a death in the family. We moved numerous times when I was a kid. My brothers and I have talked about how traumatic moving can be. In these types of situations the child has no control over what is happening. She can, however, control what she eats and doesn’t eat.
Family Influences
During adolescence most moms and daughters go through stormy seasons. Often Mom believes “the measure of a perfect mother is a perfect daughter.” Therefore, her daughter must be a perfect reflection of herself. When she makes choices contrary to Mom’s the result is often a deep wounding or separation in relationship. Mom tries to set things right, but the daughter pulls further away in order to establish her own identity.
Teens from overly restrictive homes may choose to “break away” through this subtle form of unconscious rebellion. They are in effect saying, “I am in control of what I put into my mouth and body. You can’t do anything about it!” Parents feel totally helpless. The behavior may actually be a cry from the teen seeking to establish a different kind of relationship with the parents. She or he is saying, “We want control in order to get our deep needs met.”
Teens express that they want to be asked relevant questions versus getting smacked with accusatory remarks. They want parents and adults who are dependable and honest, and who don’t lie. They want to feel significant, validated and listened to even if you don’t agree with the way they express themselves. They want you to discern the difference between a real problem and a drama queen production.
They want you to relate a time when you felt the same thing or were in a similar situation. How did you handle it? How did you feel? Your chances of being heard are upped by about 70 percent. This is transparency. Start praying, “Lord, what obstacles are standing in the way of my relationship with this teen?” Begin to break down the obstacles.
The Smoking Gun
For vulnerable girls, believing the lie that looking like a skinny celebrity or supermodel will make me happy is what often sets off the cycle of disordered eating and body hatred. In the clinical field, some say, the gun was already loaded. The loaded gun theory usually refers to the person’s genetic and biochemical predisposition. It may be the culture, such as fixation on model images, or a trauma in the family, or repetitive distorted thoughts which pulls the trigger.
EDs are a maladaptive solution to real-life problems. It is not uncommon for a multiple of issues, or triggers, to show up at once. A teen may be dealing with negative or conflicting messages from others, plus condemning self-talk about how she should look; plus coping with a major life change.
Be Aware: Pro-Eating Disorder Websites Abound
There’s a trend online where people are actually promoting EDs. They call it “thinspiration,” and experts say there may be no way to stop them. Most parents can’t imagine it: web sites that teach and promote EDs. Termed pro-ana (anorexia) and pro-mia (bulimia), they proliferate the Internet.
These websites offer success tips and methods of hiding rapid weight loss from parents and doctors, and airbrushed photos or videos of very thin models and actresses. These diet predators are even blogging and sending Twitter updates right to a teen’s mobile phone. Health professionals note an increase in the number of cases and have come to consider the Internet, or “pro-eating disorder” sites, to be a source of this increase.
A parent’s responsibility is to minimize the influences that have the potential to cock the gun and pull the trigger. When they fail what can we do? We can provide the appropriate spiritual support. We must point her or him to Jesus. Colossians 2:10 says, “So you have everything when you have Christ, and you are filled with God through your union with Christ” (TLB, my emphasis). The NASB version reads, “in Him you have been made complete.” There is nothing else we can add or change about ourselves—we are already perfect because Jesus meets every need.
More information and a list of resources.
Excerpted from Torn Between Two Masters: Encouraging Teens to Live Authentically in a Celebrity-Obsessed World. Kimberly received her M.A. in specialized ministry from Western Seminary, Portland, Oregon. She is a board certified biblical counselor, personal life coach, speaker, and founder of Olive Branch Outreach ministry dedicated to bringing hope and restoration to those struggling with eating disorders and body image. Kimberly volunteers in student ministries and youth education outreach. She is the author of four books, including Torn Between Two Masters: Encouraging Teens to Live Authentically in a Celebrity-Obsessed World.
