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Essay Examples on Eating Disorders

What makes a good eating disorders essay topic.

When it comes to selecting a topic for your eating disorders essay, it's crucial to consider a multitude of factors that can elevate your writing to new heights. Below are some innovative suggestions on how to brainstorm and choose an essay topic that will captivate your readers:

• Brainstorm : Begin by unleashing a storm of ideas related to eating disorders. Delve into the various facets, such as causes, effects, treatment options, societal influences, and personal narratives. Ponder upon what intrigues you and what will engage your audience.
• Research : Embark on a comprehensive research journey to accumulate information and gain a profound understanding of the subject matter. This exploration will enable you to identify distinctive angles and perspectives to explore in your essay. Seek out scholarly sources such as academic journals, books, and reputable websites.
• Cater to your audience : Reflect upon your readers and their interests to tailor your topic accordingly. Adapting your subject matter to captivate your audience will undoubtedly make your essay more engaging. Consider the age, background, and knowledge level of your readers.
• Unveil controversies : Unearth the controversies and debates within the realm of eating disorders. Opting for a topic that ignites discussion will infuse your essay with thought-provoking and impactful qualities. Delve into various viewpoints and critically analyze arguments for and against different ideas.
• Personal connection : If you possess a personal connection or experience with eating disorders, contemplate sharing your story or delving into it within your essay. This will add a unique and personal touch to your writing. However, ensure that your personal anecdotes remain relevant to the topic and effectively support your main points.

Overall, a remarkable eating disorders essay topic should be meticulously researched, thought-provoking, and relevant to your audience's interests and needs.

Popular Eating Disorders Essay Topics

Below, you will find a compilation of the finest eating disorders essay topics to consider:

• The Impact of Social Media on Eating Disorders
• The Role of Family Dynamics in the Development of Eating Disorders
• Eating Disorders in Athletes: Causes and Consequences
• The Effectiveness of Different Treatments for Eating Disorders
• Understanding the Psychological Underpinnings of Anorexia Nervosa
• Binge Eating Disorder: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
• The Relationship Between Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Eating Disorders
• Eating Disorders in Adolescents: Early Signs and Prevention
• The Influence of Culture and Society on Eating Disorder Prevalence
• The Connection Between Eating Disorders and Substance Abuse
• The Role of Genetics in Eating Disorders
• Men and Eating Disorders: Breaking the Stigma
• The Long-Term Health Consequences of Eating Disorders
• Orthorexia: When Healthy Eating Becomes a Disorder
• The Impact of Trauma and Abuse on Eating Disorder Development

Best Eating Disorders Essay Questions

Below, you will find an array of stellar eating disorders essay questions to explore:

• How does social media contribute to the development and perpetuation of eating disorders?
• What challenges do males with eating disorders face, and how can these challenges be addressed?
• To what extent does the family environment contribute to the development of eating disorders?
• What role does diet culture play in fostering unhealthy relationships with food?
• How can different treatment approaches be tailored to address the unique needs of individuals grappling with eating disorders?

Eating Disorders Essay Prompts

Below, you will find a collection of eating disorders essay prompts that will kindle your creative fire:

• Craft a personal essay that intricately details your voyage towards recovery from an eating disorder, elucidating the lessons you learned along the way.
• Picture yourself as a parent of a teenager burdened with an eating disorder. Pen a heartfelt letter to other parents, sharing your experiences and providing valuable advice.
• Fabricate a fictional character entangled in the clutches of binge-eating disorder. Concoct a short story that explores their odyssey towards self-acceptance and recovery.
• Construct a persuasive essay that fervently argues for the integration of comprehensive education on eating disorders into school curricula.
• Immerse yourself in the role of a therapist specializing in eating disorders. Compose a reflective essay that delves into the challenges and rewards of working with individuals grappling with eating disorders.

Writing Eating Disorders Essays: FAQ

• Q : How can I effectively commence my eating disorders essay?

A : Commence your essay with a captivating introduction that ensnares the reader's attention and provides an overview of the topic. Consider starting with an intriguing statistic, a powerful quote, or a personal anecdote.

• Q : Can I incorporate personal experiences into my eating disorders essay?

A : Absolutely! Infusing your essay with personal experiences adds depth and authenticity. However, ensure that your personal anecdotes remain relevant to the topic and effectively support your main points.

• Q : How can I make my eating disorders essay engaging?

A : Utilize a variety of rhetorical devices such as metaphors, similes, and vivid descriptions to transform your essay into an engaging masterpiece. Additionally, consider incorporating real-life examples, case studies, or interviews to provide concrete evidence and make your essay relatable.

• Q : Should my essay focus solely on one specific type of eating disorder?

A : While focusing on a specific type of eating disorder can provide a narrower scope for your essay, exploring the broader theme of eating disorders as a whole can also be valuable. Strive to strike a balance between depth and breadth in your writing.

• Q : How can I conclude my eating disorders essay effectively?

A : In your conclusion, summarize the main points of your essay and restate your thesis statement. Additionally, consider leaving the reader with a thought-provoking question or a call to action, encouraging further reflection or research on the topic.

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Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits that negatively affect a person's physical and mental health.

• Anorexia Nervosa: Characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, and severe restriction of food intake leading to extreme weight loss and malnutrition.
• Bulimia Nervosa: Involves cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, excessive exercise, or laxative use to prevent weight gain. Sufferers often maintain a normal weight.
• Binge Eating Disorder: Marked by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food in a short period, often accompanied by feelings of loss of control and distress, but without regular use of compensatory behaviors.
• Orthorexia: An obsession with eating foods that one considers healthy, often leading to severe dietary restrictions and malnutrition. Unlike other eating disorders, the focus is on food quality rather than quantity.
• Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID): Involves limited food intake due to a lack of interest in eating, avoidance based on sensory characteristics of food, or concern about aversive consequences of eating, leading to nutritional deficiencies and weight loss.
• Pica: The persistent eating of non-nutritive substances, such as dirt, clay, or paper, inappropriate to the developmental level of the individual and not part of a culturally supported or socially normative practice.
• Rumination Disorder: Involves the repeated regurgitation of food, which may be re-chewed, re-swallowed, or spit out. This behavior is not due to a medical condition and can lead to nutritional deficiencies and social difficulties.
• Distorted Body Image: Individuals often see themselves as overweight or unattractive, even when underweight or at a healthy weight.
• Obsession with Food and Weight: Constant thoughts about food, calories, and weight, leading to strict eating rules and excessive exercise.
• Emotional and Psychological Factors: Associated with low self-esteem, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, or a need for control.
• Physical Health: Can cause severe health issues like malnutrition, electrolyte imbalances, hormonal disruptions, and organ damage.
• Social Isolation: Withdrawal from social activities due to shame, guilt, and embarrassment, leading to loneliness and distress.
• Co-occurring Disorders: Often coexists with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, or self-harming behaviors, requiring comprehensive treatment.
• Genetic and Biological Factors: Genetic predisposition and biological factors, like brain chemical or hormonal imbalances, can contribute to eating disorders.
• Psychological Factors: Low self-worth, perfectionism, body dissatisfaction, and distorted body image perceptions play significant roles.
• Sociocultural Influences: Societal pressures, cultural norms, media portrayal of unrealistic body ideals, and peer influence increase the risk.
• Traumatic Experiences: Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse can heighten vulnerability, leading to feelings of low self-worth and body shame.
• Dieting and Weight-related Practices: Restrictive dieting, excessive exercise, and weight-focused behaviors can trigger disordered eating patterns.

Treatment for eating disorders includes psychotherapy, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and family-based therapy (FBT), to address psychological factors and improve self-esteem. Nutritional counseling with dietitians helps develop healthy eating patterns and debunks dietary myths. Medical monitoring involves regular check-ups to manage physical health. Medication may be prescribed for symptoms like depression and anxiety. Support groups and peer support offer community and empathy, providing valuable insights and encouragement from others facing similar challenges.

• As per the data provided by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), it is estimated that around 30 million individuals residing in the United States will experience an eating disorder during their lifetime.
• Research suggests that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Anorexia nervosa, in particular, has a mortality rate of around 10%, emphasizing the seriousness and potential life-threatening nature of these disorders.
• Eating disorders can affect individuals of all genders and ages, contrary to the common misconception that they only affect young women. While young women are more commonly affected, studies indicate that eating disorders are increasingly prevalent among men and can also occur in older adults and children.

Eating disorders are a critical topic because they affect millions of people worldwide, leading to severe physical and psychological consequences. Addressing eating disorders helps in understanding their complex causes and improving treatment options. Exploring eating disorders essay topics raises awareness, promotes early intervention, and encourages support for those affected, ultimately contributing to better mental health and well-being.

1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Publishing. 2. Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A. J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: A meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(7), 724-731. 3. Brown, T. A., Keel, P. K., & Curren, A. M. (2020). Eating disorders. In D. H. Barlow (Ed.), Clinical handbook of psychological disorders: A step-by-step treatment manual (6th ed., pp. 305-357). Guilford Press. 4. Fairburn, C. G., & Harrison, P. J. (2003). Eating disorders. The Lancet, 361(9355), 407-416. 5. Herpertz-Dahlmann, B., & Zeeck, A. (2020). Eating disorders in childhood and adolescence: Epidemiology, course, comorbidity, and outcome. In M. Maj, W. Gaebel, J. J. López-Ibor, & N. Sartorius (Eds.), Eating Disorders (Vol. 11, pp. 68-82). Wiley-Blackwell. 6. Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological Psychiatry, 61(3), 348-358. 7. Jacobi, C., Hayward, C., de Zwaan, M., Kraemer, H. C., & Agras, W. S. (2004). Coming to terms with risk factors for eating disorders: Application of risk terminology and suggestions for a general taxonomy. Psychological Bulletin, 130(1), 19-65. 8. Keski-Rahkonen, A., & Mustelin, L. (2016). Epidemiology of eating disorders in Europe: Prevalence, incidence, comorbidity, course, consequences, and risk factors. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 29(6), 340-345. 9. Smink, F. R. E., van Hoeken, D., & Hoek, H. W. (2012). Epidemiology of eating disorders: Incidence, prevalence and mortality rates. Current Psychiatry Reports, 14(4), 406-414. 10. Stice, E., Marti, C. N., & Rohde, P. (2013). Prevalence, incidence, impairment, and course of the proposed DSM-5 eating disorder diagnoses in an 8-year prospective community study of young women. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 122(2), 445-457.

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Eating Disorders, Essay Example

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Introduction

Eating disorders affect men and women of all ages, although adolescents tend to be the age group that is more susceptible. This is because, as their bodies are changing, they may feel more pressure by society as well as peer groups to look attractive and fit in (Segal et al). Types of eating disorders include Anorexia, Bulimia and Compulsive Overeating, which can also be related to the first two. The reasons behind Eating Disorder usually stem from a reaction to low self-esteem and a negative means of coping with life and stress (Something Fishy).  Eating disorders are also often associated with an underlying psychological disorder, which may be the reason behind the eating disorder or which may develop from the Eating Disorder itself. Mental health disorders that are often associated with Eating Disorder include Anxiety, Depression, Multiple Personality Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, BiPolar, BiPolar II, Borderline Personality Disorder, Panic Disorder and Dissociative Disorder. The longer a person suffers from ED, the more probable that they will be dealing with another mental illness, most likely Anxiety or Depression (Something Fishy). The eventual outcome of Eating Disorder can be deadly. “Some eating disorders are associated with a 10-15% mortality rate and a 20-25% suicide rate. Sometimes, anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating may be perceived as slow suicide (Carruthers).” In order to prevent the deadly consequences of Eating Disorder and to prevent it from becoming more pervasive in society, it is necessary to recognize the correct treatment method for this disease.  Traditional treatments have focused on providing risk information to raise awareness of the consequences of Eating Disorder (Lobera et al 263). However, since Eating Disorder is a mental illness, a more effective treatment is one that offers psychological evaluation, counseling and treatment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is emerging as a more robust and effective method that can be used not only to treat Eating Disorder but the associated mental illnesses that may accompany it.

The Problem

Eating disorder is pervasive in society and can have deadly consequences on those that suffer from it. Many time Eating Disorder goes undetected by family members and friends because those suffering will go to great lengths to hide their problem. However, there are some signs and symptoms that can be clues that a person is suffering from some sort of eating disorder. According to Segal, these signs can include:

161 Eating Disorders Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best eating disorders topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on eating disorders, 💡 most interesting eating disorders topics to write about, 📃 simple & easy eating disorders essay titles, ⭐ good research topics about eating disorders, ❓ research questions about eating disorders.

• Minuchin Family Therapy of Eating Disorders It is for this reason that the family-based treatment was conceived and implemented to involve the family in the recovery of adolescents.
• Anorexia as Eating Disorder However, due to limitation in scope, the rest of the chapter will explore anorexia nervosa by tracing the historical background of the condition, reviewing prevalence of the disorder in terms of gender, culture and geographical […]
• Bulimia: A Severe Eating Disorder The main symptoms of bulimia include intermittent eating of enormous amounts of food to the point of stomach discomfort, abdominal pain, flatulence, constipation, and blood in the vomit due to irritation of the esophagus.
• Eating Disorders: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention An eating disorder is a mental illness that is primarily characterized by unhealthy eating habits. An individual either eats too much or too little.
• Bulimia Nervosa: Treatment and Safety Measures It is important to know about related safety measures, considerations and medications and therefore outcomes of bulimic patients are more likely to be optimistic.
• Binge-Eating Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment The second part of the case focuses on the empirically tested treatments for the diagnosed problem, justifying the choice of treatment for Alice with available clinical data.
• Diagnosis and Reasons of the Bulimia Nervosa Bulimia is also evident in African countries even with the general notion that African women ought to be fat as a sign of beauty and fertility.
• Eating Disorders in the Military Exposure to trauma is frequently linked to the emergence of eating disorders. As a result, soldiers develop an eating disorder due to external factors, which affect their mental and physical health, but it remains one […]
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders Thus, first of all, to assess John’s current condition, several questions were asked to form an appropriate image of the problem, such as: When and why did you first start thinking about your weight and […]
• Bulimia Nervosa: The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Subsequently, the research hypothesis is the following: CBT is a more effective treatment intervention in terms of patient outcomes than psychoanalysis, DBT, and integrative therapy.
• Treatment Interventions for Bulimia Nervosa: Case Analysis The essence of the approach is to combat the lack of self-care of the patient, where the responsibility for progress lies with Rita.
• Anorexia as Social and Psychological Disease Many who were used to his weight knew, though Bob is not the most handsome, but a charming person, kind and friendly.
• Eating Disorders Among Medical Students Ehab and Walaa point out that for one-third of medical students, there is a risk of developing ED. Consequently, the problem of ED among medical students is urgent and requires attention.
• Adherence to Medical Advice in Patients With Bulimia Patients’ non-adherence to medical advice presents a common problem in the health care system. The use of health apps allows patients to overcome shame or guilt in eating disorder treatment, increasing adherence.
• Eating Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment The idealization of an extremely skinny body in the fashion world, television, press, and social media resulted in the rise in the number of individuals with eating disorders.
• Bulimia in Teenagers: How to Make a Change This paper hypothesizes that to make a change a complex of psychological measures should be taken that includes the use of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, formation of the right attitude to food and body weight, and building […]
• Eating Disorder Among Youth and Its Aspects It is due to the fact that often the above sociological factors cause the development of psychological issues, especially among young people.
• Anorexia Nervosa and Its Treatment Anorexia nervosa is a treatable eating disorder when people significantly limit the number of calories and types of foods they eat, which leads to excessive weight loss. The objectives of anorexia treatment include weight recovery, […]
• Predictors and Long-Term Health Outcomes of Eating Disorders The authors of the article Predictors and long-term health outcomes of eating disorders aimed to study this topic and bring new information into existing research.
• Emotional Eating in Eating Disorders: A Comprehensive Study Eating concerning adverse emotions and ED psychopathology. Analysis of emotional eating concerning under- and overeating is important.
• Mental Health Project: Binge-Eating Disorder The result was the start of the Binge-Eating Disorder Association, a non-profit organization. The main role of the organization was to advocate, support, and help the binge-eating disorder society.
• Bulimia Nervosa: A Literature Review With binging episodes being characterized by loss of control, some of the bulimic patients consume food they are not entitled to, worsening their relationship both with food and with their social circle. Purging behaviors lead […]
• Genetic Disorder: “A Genetic Link to Anorexia” The author effectively proves that the development of anorexia nervosa may occur not only due to the exposure to the social pressure of beauty standards, but also the presence of a genetic predisposition.
• Eating Disorders in Adolescents Thus, the purpose of the present paper is to dwell on the specifics of external factors causing the disorder as well as the ways to deal with this issue.
• Eating Disorders: Types, Signs and Treatments Eating disorders encompass a wide variety of illnesses that are characterized by abnormal eating habits, obsession with body image, and sudden weight fluctuations.
• Lifestyle Impact on Eating Disorders In contemporary societies men have been socialized to believe they should have certain physical body structures that describe their masculinity; the fact is reinforced in the television and video programs, music, and the general societal.men […]
• Acculturation and Eating Disorders in Western Countries In one of the studies, the relationship between acculturation and eating disorders was found to be non-existent. As evident in the table, most of the researchers have noted that acculturation and eating disorders are strongly […]
• Eating Disorders in Male Adolescents: Understanding and Intervention The research indicates that the prevalence of eating disorders in the male population has increased in the recent years. This paper aims at reviewing available scientific literature on eating disorders in the male adolescent population […]
• Bulimia: Causes and Treatment Bulimia is an eating disorder which is portrayed by binging on food and subsequently vomiting in several attempts of purging.”removal of nutrients in form of purging entails forced vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative use, or fasting […]
• Controlling the Problem and the Treatment Anorexia Nervosa Finally, the paper will be looking at the possible measures of controlling the problem and the treatment of the victims. When female are in their teenage, most of them are affected by the problem of […]
• Regulation of Metabolism and Eating Disorders When a person feels full, hormones, such as cholecystokinin and peptide YY3 36, are released to promote the feeling of satiety and suppress the appetite.
• American Girls’ Eating Disorders and Change Action They will be also offered encouraging interviews with those who managed to overcome the problem of eating disorders including my sister.
• Daily Patterns of Anxiety in Anorexia Nervosa The researchers failed to indicate the distinct and important sections such as the study objectives and the significance of the study.
• Anorexia Nervosa and Life-Sustaining Treatment Therefore, the primary care for patients with anorexia nervosa requires administration of various dietary and mental medical interventions and a clear understanding of different concepts and ethical issues related to the treatment of the disorder.
• Media’s Role in Influencing Eating Disorders The media has distorted the issue of beauty to a point where beauty is no longer “in the eyes of the beholder” but on people’s body size.
• Anorexia Studies. “Thin” Documentary The nutrition of a single person has a strong cultural aspect, being influenced by traditions of a family circle and the whole nation.
• Concepts of Eating Disorders On the other hand, the quantity of food consumed does not determine satiety; rather, it is the quantities of nutrient consumed. In addition, the moving of lipid components into the duodenum helps individuals to reduce […]
• Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa is the disease in which the patient avoids eating because of the fear of getting fat. Bulimia Nervosa refers to the pattern of binge eating.
• The Anorexia Nervosa as a Mental Illness While tracing the history of the disease, many authors have come to the conclusion that the disease is to some extent due to the living styles that people have adopted over the years and also […]
• Anorexia Nervosa: Medical Issues In response to this, the writer wishes to state that the purpose of this paper is to present a brief outline of anorexia and its causes to the millions of Americans out there without knowledge […]
• The Portrayal of Women With Anorexia Body image distortion, wherein the individual has an inaccurate perception of body shape and size is considered to be the cause of the intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat witnessed in individuals with […]
• Anorexia Nervosa in Psychological Point of View Anorexia nervosa is more common in the industrialized countries, where being thin is considered to be more attractive, and is more frequent in Whites than the nonwhite populations. In the age group of 10-14 years, […]
• Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: A Grounded Theory This disorder can be a chronic problem and is associated with negative consequences that may reduce the quality of life for the individuals who struggle with it.
• The Role of Family in Developing and Treating Anorexia The rest of the poem confused and inspired me as a reader because Smith, as well as millions of people around the globe, proved the impossibility to have one particular definition of anorexia in modern […]
• The Problem of Anorexia: “There Was a Girl” by Katy Waldman In her essay, the writer strives to embrace the concept of anorexia and explore the mindset that encourages the development of the specified disorder.
• Eating Disorders: Public Service Announcement Thus, seeking help and battling the disorder is a way to accept that all people were created by God and loved by Him regardless of how thin they are.
• “Skinny Boy: A Young Man’s Battle and Triumph Over Anorexia” by Gary A. Grahl Grahl suffered from anorexia in his youth, and the book is a memoir-like account of the event, serving to open the door to the psychology of the disease in the male populace a vulnerable population […]
• Anorexia Nervosa and Its Perception by Patients In the control group, 80 laymen and women were selected randomly to participate in the study and they completed a modified IPQ-R questionnaire to elicit their perceptions towards AN.
• Eating Disorder Patient’s Assessment and Treatment I should explain to the patient the severity of eating disorders and their possible adverse influence on the patient’s health and life.
• Bulimia Nervosa and Antisocial Personality Disorder The patient said that his head is constantly aching, but the man avoids going to his doctor because he does not want to hear bad news about his health and does not want to cope […]
• Social Media Impact on Depression and Eating Disorder When they turn to the social media, they are bombarded with a lot of information that they cannot properly comprehend. In the social media, they get to understand that beauty is associated with one’s body […]
• Eating Disorder Screening and Treatment Plan The strong point of this article is the combination of the eating disorders and behavioral aspects of the problem as the mixture of the possible reasons for the psychological problem.
• Understanding Eating Disorders: Impact of Social and Cultural Factors Assessing the role of social and cultural factors in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders involves the same processes as those used with other population disorders.
• Differential Diagnosis in a Patient: Anorexia Nervosa The first step is to avoid malingering and make sure that a patient is not pretending to be sick. Julia’s and the roommate’s stories are not contradictory; hence, it is safe to say that Julia […]
• Humanistic Therapy: Mental Disorder in Patient With Anorexia As the narration unravels, it becomes clear that the girl also shows signs of anorexia nervosa – a mental disorder distinguished by an unhealthy low weight and destructive dietary patterns. DSM-5 serves as the principal […]
• Eating Disorders in Traditional and Social Media One can argue that traditional media, through the depiction of ED stories, started the discussion about mental health, introducing concepts of anorexia, bulimia, and other conditions, often described in a negative light due to the […]
• Addressing Eating Disorders: Urgent Measures Needed for Public Health The initiators made a petition to the representatives of the Senate and also appealed to the former head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Anthropology: Anorexia and Idiopathic Seizures Considering the relation between this disease and cultural issues, it is possible to refer to life of people in society. It is essential to consider anorexia and idiopathic epilepsy from the point of view of […]
• Eating Disorders, Insomnia, and Schizophrenia Of course, this readiness does not exclude the necessity to identify such people and provide the necessary treatment to them, which is proved to be effective.
• Anorexia Nervosa: Diagnosis and Treatment in Psychotherapy In the meantime, it is, likewise, vital to determine the cause of the condition’s appearance and point out the necessary alterations.
• Controlling Eating Disorders It is important to manage these problems as they compromise the physical health of the individual. The individuals are usually disturbed by the size and shape of their body.
• Eating Disorders in Adolescent Girls This will involve making them appreciate their body the way they are and dispelling the idea that only thinness is a sign of beauty.
• Influence of Media on Anorexia As the children grow, they disregard big-bodied people, and try as much as possible to maintain a slim figure, as they see from the magazines and televisions.
• Psychological Factors Underlying Anorexia Nervosa The condition also occurs where individuals deny hunger as well as restrict energy and nutrients to levels that are minimal and inadequate to maintain the functioning of the normal body health and mass. In addition, […]
• The Problem of Anorexia in Modern American Society However, in spite of frightening statistics, nowadays many sufferers have a good chance to recover due to increasing number of programs and campaigns aimed at overcoming this disease. 7% – Hispanic people, and the rest […]
• Eating Disorder Prevention Programs Through the article, Stice and Shaw evaluated the current information on eating disorders based on risks and maintenance aspects rather than on a particular analysis.
• Gender and Demographic Aspects of Eating Disorders In the situation involving African American women, body image is much more of several factors that include how others react to them, comparisons of their bodies with those of the others in the same environment, […]
• Eating Disorders Among Teenage Girls According to recent research conducted, mass media has affected most teens negatively in the following ways: Media Version of physical beauty The teens are not mindful of the fact that the messages that they are […]
• The Eating Disorder – Anorexia Nervosa It is noted that majority of the people that suffer from anorexia disorder are those that suffer from low-self esteem. The eating disorder makes bodies of people suffering from Anorexia nervosa struggle to manage insufficient […]
• The Concept of Normality In Relation To Eating Disorders Among the dominant sociological understanding of normality that will be used to argue through the concept of eating disorders in this paper are the views such as; what is considered normal can be differentiated from […]
• Healthy Lifestyles in the Context of Anorexia and Obesity In addition, a thorough evaluation of one’s lifestyle is imperative so as to rectify that which is causing the anorexia. As discussed in this paper, it is clear that physical activity and a healthy balanced […]
• Mental Health & Culture on Weight and Eating Disorders The depressed and anxious mind sabotages one’s efforts to loosing weight thus leading to the weird feeling of hopelessness and the good efforts or intentions capsizes leaving one to the option of the detrimental food […]
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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, discussing my eating disorder in college essays – too personal or potentially impactful.

Hey guys, so here's the thing – I’ve battled with an eating disorder, and it’s been a significant part of my high school experience. Should I write about overcoming this challenge in my essays, or would it be better to choose a less sensitive subject?

Your courage in facing and overcoming such a personal challenge is commendable. When choosing an essay topic, the key is to focus on how the experience has shaped you and enabled personal growth. If you believe that your journey with an eating disorder has been a transformational part of your high school experience and has changed you in a significant way, it is worth considering as an essay topic.

However, ensure that your narrative is one of resilience and that it showcases how this experience has helped you build up your strengths, rather than solely focusing on the struggle itself. For example, avoid graphic descriptions of what you dealt with, as they may be uncomfortable for admissions officers to read, especially if they have struggled with eating disorders themselves—remember, you never know who is going to be reading your essay.

Rather, focus on how overcoming the hardship of this experience has taught you important life skills, by talking about accomplishments or formative experiences that were enabled by the abilities you developed as a result of your struggle with your eating disorder. This approach will give colleges what they are interested in in any personal statement, which is your ability to persevere and how your experiences have prepared you for the challenges of college life.

In summary, this topic is not too personal if framed correctly. If you're wondering if your approach is working, you can always check out CollegeVine's free peer essay review service, or submit it to an expert advisor for a paid review. Since they don't know you, they can provide an objective perspective that will hopefully give you a sense of how an actual admissions officer would read you essay. Good luck!

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List of 122 Eating Disorder Research Topics

Are you looking for some eating disorder research topics that you can use as your own? Of course, you are! Otherwise, why would you be reading this blog post? Well, the good news is that we have just what you are looking for right here on this page.

No, you don’t have to download anything. You don’t have to pay anything either. All our 122 eating disorder research topics are free to use as you see fit. We have just finished updating the list, so you can find unique topics that are entirely original. Nobody in your class has probably found them, so you’re safe.

Best Eating Disorder Research Topics on the Internet

Every student should focus on studying or learning for his terms or exams. However, hunting for eating disorder research topics can take hours – if not days. You probably don’t have so much free time on your hands. This is why, if you need to write an eating disorders research paper, you should first visit our blog. You will find that our topics are the best on the Internet. Also, here is what you get if you visit our page periodically:

Our list of topics is updated relatively frequently, so you will probably be able to get an original topic right here in just a couple of minutes. All our topics are relatively easy to write about. You can find plenty of information online about 99% of these topics. You will never have to pay anything to get topics. They are all free. You are also free to reword them to suit your needs. You can get a list of new topics from our expert writers if you can’t find what you are looking for on this page.

So, let’s take a look at our list of the latest and most interesting eating disorder research topics.

Anorexia Research Paper Ideas

Talking about anorexia may not be the easiest thing in the world, but we have some anorexia research paper ideas that are not that complicated right here:

• What causes anorexia in children?
• The 3 most effective anorexia nervosa treatments
• How do affected people perceive their anorexia?
• Physical effects of anorexia nervosa
• Psychological effects of anorexia
• The ethics behind the nasogastric tube treatment
• The link between anorexia and infertility
• The link between osteoporosis
• The link between anorexia and heart damage
• Cultural factors that influence the occurrence of anorexia
• Does anorexia cause depression?
• Anorexia nervosa in evolutionary psychiatry

Eating Disorders Research Paper Topics

Have you been asked by your professor to write a research paper on an eating disorder or related subject? Check out these unique eating disorders research paper topics:

• Best screening tools for eating disorders
• Compare and contrast 2 eating disorders
• Discuss eating disorders to social media
• A short history of eating disorders
• How can one achieve body positivity?
• Most interesting myths about eating disorders
• Differences between bulimia and anorexia
• What causes the relapse of eating disorders?
• The epidemic of anorexia in the United States
• Mass media’s effect on body image in the UK
• Gender role in eating disorders

Children Eating Disorders

We can guarantee that if you write about children eating disorders, you will capture the attention of your professor from the first two sentences. Give these topics a try:

• Self-injury in children with anorexia
• Occurrence of bulimia nervosa in adolescents
• Treating autistic children with anorexia
• What causes eating disorders among children in the US?
• Correcting children’s eating disorders in the United Kingdom
• Preventing relapses in young children
• The developmental psychology behind eating disorders
• Mental development problems in children with anorexia
• Successful parenting to prevent the occurrence of anorexia
• Television and its effects on self-esteem
• The link between fat-shaming and anorexia

Top Questions About Eating Disorders

Wondering what are the top questions about eating disorders today? Our experts have compiled them in an original list of questions below:

• What factors influence complete recovery for eating disorders?
• Can we develop personalized treatments for each patient?
• Should the symptoms be treated first?
• What chances does a person with co-morbidities have to survive an episode of anorexia?
• Which type of treatment offers the best chances of complete recovery?
• What can parents do to help children with anorexia?
• What are the risk factors that lead to bulimia nervosa?
• What causes self-harm in patients with anorexia?
• Why are eating disorders on the rise in developed countries?

Binge Eating Disorder Topics

Yes, binge eating is a very serious eating disorder. So why now write an essay about it? Check out these interesting binge eating disorder topics and pick the one you like:

• The social problems associated with binge eating
• The psychological problems caused by binge eating
• Physical issues caused by the binge eating disorder
• Differences between binge eating and bulimia
• Differences between binge eating and anorexia nervosa
• Prevalence of binge eating in healthy adults in the US
• Underreporting problems in the male population
• Benefits of counseling
• Surgery affects on binge eating
• Best lifestyle interventions in cases of binge eating
• Effective medication against binge eating disorders

Eating Disorder Topics for College

If you are a college student, you need a more complex topic to win a top grade. Take a look at these great eating disorder topics for college and take your pick:

• Household income effects on bulimia incidence
• The accuracy of the Eating Disorder Examination
• Effects of anorexia on the reproductive system
• An in-depth analysis of the refeeding syndrome
• Using hypnotherapy to treat bulimia nervosa
• The effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor on binge eating
• Using olanzapine in anorexia nervosa cases
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy for binge eating
• The mortality rate of anorexia nervosa patients
• The effects of fluoxetine on bulimia nervosa patients
• The role of antidepressants in treating bulimia

Complex Eating Disorder Research Topics

If you want to impress your professor and awe your classmates, you may need to consider picking a topic from our list of complex eating disorder research topics below:

• Discuss physical morbidity caused by eating disorders
• The first documented case of anorexia nervosa
• An in-depth look at eating disorder psychosocial morbidity
• Binge eating in the Roman society
• Effective methods for eating recovery
• Sports effects on the occurrence of bulimia nervosa
• Bulimia nervosa in the 18th century
• Analyze the accuracy of the Anorectic Behavior Observation Scale
• An in-depth look at evolutionary psychiatry
• Topiramate and zonisamide for treating binge eating
• Using anti-obesity medications for bulimia and binge eating

Bulimia Nervosa Essay Topics

Of course, you can write an essay about bulimia nervosa or something related to it. Let’s help you with some bulimia nervosa essay topics:

• 5 lesser-known facts about bulimia
• Famous people who had bulimia
• The psychological consequences of bulimia
• Physical effects of bulimia nervosa
• Gender’s role in the bulimia nervosa disorder
• Effective methods to diagnose bulimia
• Effective treatments against bulimia nervosa
• First symptoms of bulimia
• Incidence of bulimia cases among children in the US
• Can willpower alone treat bulimia nervosa?

Eating Disorder Research Topics in Nursing

If you are a nursing student (or are attending a nursing class), you may find these eating disorder research topics in nursing highly interesting:

• Nursing’s role in eating disorder recovery
• Discuss nursing best practices when dealing with anorexia
• Nursing techniques for patients with bulimia
• Treating the symptoms of anorexia nervosa effectively

Treatments for Eating Disorders

Your professor will surely appreciate you taking the time to research various treatments for eating disorders. You may get some bonus points if you use one of these topics:

• The best treatment for bulimia nervosa
• A universal treatment for all eating disorders
• Medications that are effective against the binge eating disorder
• Talk about the use of hypnosis to treat eating disorders
• Discuss the cure rate for anorexia nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa Research Paper Topics

Did you run out of ideas for your eating disorder research paper? No problem, just check out the following anorexia nervosa research paper topics and pick the one you like:

• First symptoms and manifestations of anorexia nervosa
• Is anorexia nervosa contagious?
• Genetic transmission of the anorexia nervosa disorder
• Risk factors that influence anorexia nervosa in the United States
• Effective medication for the anorexia nervosa disorder

Gender Issues and Eating Disorders

Yes, there are many gender issues that you can talk about when it comes to eating disorders. We have an entire list of gender issues and eating disorders ideas right here for you:

• The gender with the highest rates of eating disorders
• Men and their struggle with anorexia nervosa
• Gender issues that make diagnosis difficult
• Mortality rates of eating disorders by gender
• Stereotypes related to eating disorders

Easy Eating Disorder Research Topics

These easy eating disorder research topics are for students who don’t want to spend days doing the research and writing the essay:

• What causes bulimia?
• Psychiatric help for eating disorder patients
• Effective medications that prevent anorexia episodes
• What causes anorexia nervosa?
• How can the binge eating disorder be treated effectively?
• Psychological problems caused by eating disorders

Controversial Eating Disorder Research Topics

Take a look at some controversial eating disorder research topics and pick one. Probably nobody in your school has even thought about writing a paper on any of these ideas:

• Anorexia Nervosa portrayal in the media in the United States
• Forced therapy in eating disorders in Eastern Europe
• Negative social media effects on the treatment of eating disorders
• False positives when diagnosing people with eating disorders
• Palliative care for people with anorexia and co-morbidities

Eating Disorder Topics for High School

If you are a high school student, you will be thrilled to learn that we have some very simple topics about eating disorders. Check out our list of eating disorder topics for high school students:

• An in-depth analysis of anorexia nervosa
• The history of binge eating in the United States
• Effective treatment options for bulimia nervosa
• The best way to diagnose an eating disorder
• The role of the family in treating eating disorders
• Dangerous medications used to treat eating disorders

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• Open access
• Published: 27 March 2023

The association between eating disorders and mental health: an umbrella review

• Eng Joo Tan 1 ,
• Tejeesha Raut 2 ,
• Long Khanh-Dao Le 1 ,
• Phillipa Hay 3 , 4 ,
• Jaithri Ananthapavan 2 , 5 ,
• Yong Yi Lee 1 , 6 , 7 &
• Cathrine Mihalopoulos 1  

Journal of Eating Disorders volume  11 , Article number:  51 ( 2023 ) Cite this article

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There have been an increasing number of systematic reviews indicating the association between eating disorders (ED), including its risk factors, with mental health problems such as depression, suicide and anxiety. The objective of this study was to conduct an umbrella review of these reviews and provide a top-level synthesis of the current evidence in this area.

A systematic search was performed using four databases (MEDLINE Complete, APA PyscInfo, CINAHL Complete and EMBASE). The inclusion criteria were systematic reviews (with or without meta-analysis), published in the English language between January 2015 and November 2022. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools for use of JBI Systematic reviews.

A total of 6,537 reviews were identified, of which 18 reviews met the inclusion criteria, including 10 reviews with meta-analysis. The average quality assessment score for the included reviews was moderate. Six reviews investigated the association between ED and three specific mental health problems: (a) depression and anxiety, (b) obsessive-compulsive symptoms and (c) social anxiety. A further 3 reviews focused on the relationship between ED and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) while 2 reviews focused on ED and suicidal-related outcomes. The remaining 7 reviews explored the association between ED and bipolar disorders, personality disorders, and non-suicidal self-injury. Depression, social anxiety and ADHD are likely to have a stronger strength of association with ED relative to other mental health problems.

Mental health problems such as depression, social anxiety and ADHD were found to be more prevalent among people suffering from eating disorders. Further research is necessary to understand the mechanism and health impacts of potential comorbidities of ED.

Plain English Summary

This review aimed to investigate the association between eating disorders (ED) and mental health problems. A review of existing systematic reviews was conducted to provide a top-level synthesis of the current evidence in this area. Our review found a total of 18 systematic reviews, which investigated the association between ED and a wide range of mental health problems. These conditions include depression and anxiety, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), social anxiety, personality disorders, suicidal-related outcomes, bipolar disorders and non-suicidal self-injury. Depression, social anxiety and ADHD are likely to have a stronger strength of association with ED relative to other mental health problems.

Introduction

Eating disorders (ED) such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorders lead to higher physical and psychological morbidity, disabilities, and mortality rates [ 1 ]. The prevalence of eating disorder is increasing, with the lifetime prevalence between 3.3 and 18.6% among women and between 0.8 and 6.5% among men [ 2 ]. Risk factors such as dieting and body dissatisfaction have been considered predictors of ED onset for many years [ 3 ]. Other predisposing factors of ED also include family history of EDs, having close relatives with a mental health problem, personal history of anxiety disorder, and behavioural inflexibility and sociocultural issues such as weight stigma, bullying or teasing and limited social networks [ 4 ].

Many studies have linked EDs to various mental health problems. For example, personality disorders can be found in a portion of patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), and were encountered in the treatment of EDs [ 5 ]. Binge eating disorder (BED) has been found to impact mental health problems such as anxiety and depression which worsens health-related quality of life (HRQL) of an individual [ 6 ]. In a study of a nationally representative sample of 36,309 adults, all three EDs were associated with more than one comorbid somatic condition, which can range from lifetime mood disorders, anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder and alcohol and drug use disorders [ 7 ]. It has been widely recognized that individuals with EDs show higher rates of suicidality, which includes complete suicide, suicidal attempt, and suicidal ideation [ 8 ]. The negative perception of body image, a risk factor for ED, has also been linked to depression and obesity [ 9 ]. Individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa also exhibit social anxiety disorders, have low self-esteem and more likely to feel nervous about their appearances in public places [ 10 , 11 , 12 ].

The significant burden of mental health problems necessitates a more comprehensive understanding of the relationship between mental health and ED. Recent evidence suggested that the burden of mental health problems has increased, with suicide as the second leading cause of death among 15–29 years and the annual global cost of depression and anxiety was estimated to be USD 1 trillion [ 13 ]. While previous studies and reviews have investigated the association between EDs and specific mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and substance use disorder, there is no existing review that provides a top-level summary of these associations by using a broader definition of mental health. Consequently, there is a lack of comparative analyses of the various mental health problems and their associations with ED. Addressing this gap in current research can assist researchers and clinicians to develop a suite of interventions that has the most impact on reducing the ED-mental health co-morbidity. In this context, an umbrella review is useful because it allows the findings of existing reviews to be compared and contrasted. Therefore, this umbrella review aims to synthesize contemporary evidence in order to better understand the relationship between eating disorders and various mental health problems across demographic and clinical factors.

This review adhered to the Joanna Brigg Institute (JBI) guidelines for umbrella reviews [ 14 ] and the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) standards [ 15 ]. An ethics exemption for this research was approved by the Deakin University Human Research Ethics Committee (DUHREC) (ref. 202–1030). The protocol was registered with PROSPERO: International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (ref. CRD42021232372).

Search strategies and databases

In consultation with an experienced librarian, a literature search to identify potentially eligible publications was performed by the second author (TR) on 16 November 2020. A second literature search was performed by the first author (EJT) on 8 November 2022 to include potential studies published from 16 November 2020 onwards. Both searches were conducted via the EBSCOhost platform on four databases: MEDLINE Complete, APA PyscInfo, CINAHL Complete and EMBASE. The International Classification of Diseases version 10 (ICD-10) was used to define the mental health problems relevant to this review. For the purpose of this review, the disease category of disorders of psychological development, which included disorders related to speech, language, scholastic skills, motor function and autism were not considered. The search terms used in the study were various combinations of eating disorder keywords (e.g., “anorexi*”) and mental health keywords (e.g., “addiction”) using Boolean operators (or/and). Further details of the search terms can be found in Table S1 in the supplementary information file.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

The aim of this umbrella review was to identify reviews of studies that investigated the association between eating disorders and mental health problems. Therefore, reviews that reported the association or consequences of EDs or ED risk factors and mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, substance use disorders were included. The inclusion criteria required studies to be systematic reviews with or without meta-analyses while scoping reviews, narrative reviews, or literatures reviews without quality assessment were excluded. For the purpose of this umbrella review, a study is considered a systematic review if it had a clearly formulated research question, reported systematic and reproducible methods to identify, select and critically appraise relevant research studies. The studies were limited to the general population although there were no age or gender restrictions on the participants. All the articles included in the study were human studies, published in the English language published in peer-reviewed journals within the last seven years i.e. from January 2015 to November 2022. Non-review studies such as cohort, prevalence, case-control or cross-sectional studies were excluded from this review. Reviews with the wrong setting, study design, outcomes or the patient population were excluded. Further details of the inclusion and exclusion criteria can be found in Table S2 in the supplementary information file.

Identification of relevant studies and data extraction

All studies from the database search results were imported into Endnote and duplicates were removed. The remaining studies were then uploaded to Covidence, an online systematic review management tool, for screening [ 16 ]. A two-stage screening process applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria was conducted: (a) title and abstract screening and (b) full-text screening. Both screening processes were done independently by two reviewers (TR, EJT) and any discrepancies were discussed and resolved by the third reviewer (LL). The following data were extracted from reviews that fulfilled the inclusion criteria: year of publication, number of included studies, type of eating disorders or risk factors of eating disorders, mental health problem, presence of meta-analysis component, study design, population description, country and effect size (if available). Data extraction was performed by TR and independently checked by EJT and LL.

Quality assessment

The bias and quality of the included reviews were assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools for systematic reviews (The Joanna Briggs Institute, 2017). The purpose of this appraisal tool is to assess the methodological quality of the included studies and to determine the extent of the possibility of bias in design, conduct and analysis. The tool consists of 11 items (further details are available Table S2 in the supplementary information file) include three choices - “Yes”, “No” and “Unclear”. The total score on the scale is 11.

A total of 7,275 potentially relevant studies were identified from the database search. After duplicates were removed, 6,537 studies were available for screening. After title and abstract screening, 94 studies were progressed to full-text screening. Full-text screening resulted in 18 studies meeting the inclusion criteria and being included in the umbrella review. The PRISMA diagram shown in Fig.  1 reports the reason for exclusion for the remaining 76 studies with full-text review.

PRISMA flow diagram of included studies

Characteristics of included studies

Out of the 18 systematic reviews, ten included a meta-analysis component. There were six reviews investigating the association between ED or ED risk factors (e.g. body dissatisfaction) and three specific mental health problems: (a) depression and anxiety, (b) obsessive-compulsive symptoms and (c) social anxiety. Another three reviews focused on the relationship between ED and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) while two reviews focused on ED and suicidal-related outcomes. The remaining seven reviews explored the association between ED and bipolar disorders, personality disorders, and non-suicidal self-injury. Further details of the included studies are presented in Table  1 . The number of individual studies included within the reviews ranged from five to 122 studies with the majority of included studies being conducted using a cross-sectional study design. All but one review investigated the general population, including males and females, and the sample size ranged from 1,792 to 2,321,441 participants.

ED, depression and anxiety, obsessive compulsive symptoms and social anxiety

The evidence from two reviews [ 17 , 18 , 19 ] suggest that individuals afflicted with BED or disordered eating have a higher risk of experiencing negative mood, tension, sadness and emotional instability [ 19 ], which can further develop into depressive and anxiety symptoms [ 17 ]. However, limited evidence was found to support any link between disordered eating and obsessive-compulsive symptoms [ 17 ]. There is evidence to suggest that the relationship between anxiety and AN can be bi-directional. For example, the review by Lloyd et al. [ 18 ] demonstrated that the risk of anorexia is predicted to increase in adolescents and young adults diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Meanwhile, Kerr-Gaffney et al. [ 11 ] conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis and found that both BN and AN were associated with social anxiety with a medium effect size of 0.71 [95% CI 0.47, 0.95; p  < 0.001] and a large effect size of 1.65 [95% CI 1.03, 2.27; p  < 0.001], respectively as estimated using the Cohen’s d statistic. The authors concluded that individuals with AN or BN have high levels of social anxiety compared to healthy controls.

Several reviews have indicated that certain ED risk factors can potentially contribute to depression. The systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by Puccio et al. [ 20 ] suggested that eating pathology is one of the risk factors for depression and vice-versa. The effect of eating pathology on depression among 18,641 females aged 6–50 years was shown to be significant with an effect size of 0.13 (95% CI: 0.09 to 0.17, p  < 0.001), which was conducted on r values [ 19 ]. A systematic review of body image dissatisfaction and depression found that in men the perception of being underweight or dissatisfaction due to low weight was observed by idealizing a larger body, whereas women perceived their body larger than it was by idealizing a lean body [ 21 ]. Both of these conditions were associated with the presence of depression or depressive symptoms although the review was unable to conclude whether more severe body image dissatisfaction increased chances of also having depressive symptoms or both conditions co-exist.

ED and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

A systematic review conducted by Kaisari et al. [ 22 ] on disordered eating behaviour and (ADHD) among 115,418 participants (including both male and female populations) suggested that the impulsivity symptoms of ADHD were positively associated with overeating in AN and BN. Similarly, Levin & Rawana [ 23 ] explored the association between AN, BN and BED and ADHD among 74,852 participants and showed that childhood ADHD increases the risk of disordered eating or developing ED in later life. The systematic and meta-analysis of ED on ADHD by Nazar et al. [ 24 ] showed that the pooled odds ratio of diagnosing any ED in ADHD populations was 3.82 (95% CI 2.34–6.24). BN has the highest odds ratio (5.71, 95% CI 3.56–9.16) followed by AN (4.28, 95% CI 2.24–8.16) and BED (4.13, 95% CI 3.00–5.67). On the other hand, the pooled odds ratio of diagnosing ADHD in people with eating disorders was 2.57 (95% CI 1.30–5.11) [ 24 ].

ED and bipolar disorder

The systematic review by Álvarez Ruiz & Gutiérrez-Rojas [ 25 ] found that the severity of BN and BED in women was higher among patients with bipolar disorder. The evidence from their review suggested that there is a comorbidity between ED and bipolar disorder, with prevalence rate of EDs in bipolar disorder patients ranging from 5.3 to 31%. In addition, a more recent meta-analytic review of 47 studies reported the lifetime prevalence of AN, BN and BED as 3.8% (95% CI 2–6%), 7.4% (95% CI 6–10%) and 12.5% (95% CI 9.40–16.6%) among individuals with bipolar disorder, respectively [ 26 ].

ED and suicidal factors

A systematic review of 12 cross-sectional and 5 longitudinal studies on BED and suicidal factors among adolescents and adults found that BED is associated with a higher risk of suicide, including suicidal behaviours and ideation [ 8 ]. Similarly, the systematic review by Goldstein & Gvion [ 27 ], which included 36 cross-sectional studies and 2 longitudinal studies, suggested that eating disorders with purging behaviour, impulsivity and specific interpersonal features were associated with greater risk of suicidal behaviours.

ED and non-suicidal self-injury

A systematic review and meta-analysis by Cucchi et al. [ 28 ] reported that, among patients with various EDs, the prevalence of a lifetime history of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) was 27.3% (95% CI 23.8–31.0%) for ED, 21.8% (95% CI 18.5–25.6%) for AN, and 32.7% (95% CI 26.9–39.1%) for BN. Based on 29 studies and 6,575 participants, the review concluded that NSSI is a significant correlate of ED and prevalent among adolescents and young adults with ED.

ED and personality disorders

The systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by Farstad et al. [ 29 ] on ED and personality disorders (PD) included 14 studies and showed that pooled prevalence rates of PD ranged from 0% (95% CI: 0–4%) (for schizoid) to 30% (95% CI 0–56%) (for obsessive-compulsive) in individuals with ED. The authors concluded that increases in perfectionism, neuroticism, low extraversion, sensitivity to social rewards, avoidance motivation, negative urgency and high-self-directedness was found in the people presenting with EDs. This finding is consistent with another review that investigated the association between EDs and symptoms of borderline personality disorder [ 30 ]. The authors found that nine symptoms of borderline personality disorder were significantly elevated in patients with EDs compared to controls.

In a meta-analytic review of 59 studies, the lifetime and current prevalence of obsessive-compulsive disorder was reported to be 13.9% [95% CI 10.4–18.1%] and 8.7% [95% CI 5.8–11.8%] respectively across EDs, which included all ED subtypes [ 31 ]. Another meta-analysis review reported lifetime comorbidity rates for obsessive-compulsive disorder of 19% in AN patients and 14% in BN patients based on cross-sectional studies [ 32 ]. These rates increased to 44% in AN patients and 18.5% in BN patients when longitudinal studies were considered.

Quality of included systematic reviews

The scores achieved by the included reviews ranged from 45% (i.e. 5 out of 11 questions) to 100% (i.e. 11 out of 11 questions). On average, the reviews met 72% of the JBI criteria. The details of the score are presented in Table S3 in the supplementary information file. Overall quality was acceptable and most reviews performed well in the design of review question, inclusion criteria, search strategy and criteria used for study appraisal. The main loss of scores were from the criteria of methods to minimize errors in data extraction and assessment of publication bias.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first umbrella review to examine the overall evidence of the association between eating disorders and mental health across the age spectrum. While previous reviews were focused on investigating the relationship between eating disorders and specific mental health problems, our review captured all relevant mental health problems, including mental disorders, personality disorders and suicide-related outcomes. The findings of this review were synthesized from contemporaneous systematic reviews (i.e. in the last 7 years) and highlighted the growing body of evidence in this area, particularly the frequency of comorbidity of ED and mental health problems. In addition, our review provides a top-level summary of the strength of the association between the various mental health problems and eating disorders, and the direction of effect where possible.

A total of 643 individual studies were reviewed by the 18 systematic reviews included in this umbrella review. The synthesis of evidence revealed that there is a significant association between ED and mental health problems in general. However, among the various mental health problems investigated, only reviews focusing on depression, social anxiety and ADHD reported an effect size or odds ratio from their respective meta-analysis. Therefore, based on quantitative evidence, the association between these three mental health problems and ED is more prominent compared to other mental health problems. There is also evidence to suggest that depression and anxiety are significantly associated with different types of EDs and their risk factors. For example, symptoms of depression and anxiety were often observed in individuals suffering from AN, BN and BED or those with ED risk factors such as body dissatisfaction [ 16 , 21 ]. Interestingly, existing research shows that childhood ADHD increased the risk of disordered eating or developing ED in later life and vice versa while the risk of ADHD in individuals with ED is increased three-fold, compared to control groups [ 24 ]. This phenomenon is particularly relevant for prevention efforts given that diagnosis of ADHD in young girls or women can be delayed or missed [ 33 ]. As such, there are potential shared benefits to be gained when addressing both conditions. Further research is required to explore the underlying mechanisms and comorbidity between EDs and mental disorders. The prevention or treatment of this comorbidity also needs to be addressed by future intervention studies.

While females continue to be disproportionately affected by ED, including through its association with other mental health problems, there is also growing evidence to indicate the adverse impacts of the ED-mental disorder comorbidity on the male population. For example, the correlation between the risk of developing eating pathology due to childhood ADHD was observed to be stronger in males compared to females [ 23 ]. Furthermore, restrictive eating behaviour has been linked to ADHD-related hyperactivity symptoms in boys although the causal pathway is still not fully understood [ 34 , 35 ] As the population group investigated by the reviews included in this study was predominantly females, the association between ED and mental health may be underestimated in males. A balanced representation of the two sexes should be considered in future studies and will lead to an improved understanding of the function of gender in this emerging comorbidity.

Our umbrella review also reported that most of the research were undertaken in high-income countries, whereas limited studies have been conducted in low- and middle-income countries. This is not surprising given that previous evidence have indicated a severe scarcity of mental health research resources in low- and middle-income countries, especially in Asian and African countries [ 36 ]. Furthermore, ED-related epidemiology research in low- and middle-income countries often focused on prevalence studies and less on comorbidity between ED and mental health problems [ 37 ]. Therefore, there is a need to address this gap in the literature and investigate the generalizability of present evidence across different regions.

One of the limitations of our umbrella review is that it did not include reviews published in languages other than English. In addition, our literature search was limited to the last 7 years, therefore, reviews published before 2015 were not considered. However, it is likely that the more recent reviews in our study have included previous evidence. Another limitation is that no recent individual studies were included. Although this omission may have an impact on the findings of our study, it is unlikely to change the overall conclusion.

Overall, there may be several clinical implications from our findings. First, there is a need to increase awareness and screening for ED in general mental health settings and broader demographics. Compared to general mental health, ED is often underdiagnosed in primary care and therefore the health burden of ED is largely hidden even though it is substantial [ 38 , 39 ]. Second, it is necessary to address the unmet need for treatment of ED. Evidence has shown that although a majority of community cases with a diagnosable ED who seek treatment received treatment for weight loss, only a small proportion received appropriate mental health care [ 40 ]. There is a need to promote supported integrated treatments such as the introduction of mood intolerance module in temperament based therapy with supports [ 41 ].

The outcome of the umbrella review suggests that eating disorders and mental health problems are significantly associated with each other. Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, suicidal attempts are found to be more prevalent among people suffering from eating disorders. EDs also arise from impulsive behaviours, poor emotion regulation, history of childhood physical and emotional abuse, pain tolerance and interpersonal fears such as perceived burdensomeness [ 16 , 27 ]. Our findings suggest that there is a need for further research to understand the health impacts of eating disorder and mental disorder comorbidities. For instance, there is a limited assessment of risk factors of suicide in people with ED and, therefore, historical and contemporary data need to be collected in order to better understand the risk of suicide in ED. Further efforts should also be made to identify effective and cost-effective interventions for the prevention or treatment of ED and its comorbidities.

Availability of data and materials

All relevant data are within the manuscript and supplementary materials.

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Acknowledgements

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This study was funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council Ideas Grant (APP1183225). LKDL is funded by the Alfred Deakin Postdoctoral Research Fellow. The funder of the study had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, or writing of the report. The corresponding author had full access to all the data in the study and had final responsibility for the decision to submit for publication.

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EJT and LKDL conceptualized and designed the study. TR, EJT, LKDL contributed to the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data for the work, drafted the initial manuscript, and reviewed and revised the manuscript. PH, JA, YYL and CM contributed to the conception and design of the work and the acquisition, analysis, and interpretation of data for the work and critically revised the manuscript. All authors approved the final manuscript as submitted and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.

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Search terms. Table S2: Inclusion & exclusion criteria. Table S3: The Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tools for use of JBI Systematic Reviews-Questionnaires

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Tan, E.J., Raut, T., Le, L.KD. et al. The association between eating disorders and mental health: an umbrella review. J Eat Disord 11 , 51 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-022-00725-4

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CMC Senior Theses

Eating disorders in young women: social factors and their implications for body-salient cultures.

Sophia Krivatsy Follow

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Prof. Wei-Chin Hwang

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The following thesis analyzes potential causes of Eating Disorder (ED) behavior. Using a thorough investigation of the research, with a focus on young girls and women, this thesis aims to provide some insight into social factors that may make certain communities more at risk for ED development. The communities that are at higher risk are communities with high levels of body-salience, meaning their cultural and social environments provide platforms for a great deal of body exposure and subsequent body awareness (e.g., in beach communities). This thesis first highlights the symptoms of ED development and then delves into potential causes. Next, it addresses how the current society defines attractive, and the resulting pressures from this standard. It then examines how this leads to phenomena such as Social Comparison Theory and its subsequent interaction with Objectification Theory, and addresses how these are key factors in ED development. It aims to use these frameworks to highlight why body-salient communities are particularly vulnerable due to their social nature. Finally, these concepts are extended to establish that in-person body comparisons lead to body dissatisfaction, which in turn leads to ED development. This is then applied to two body-salient communities, Australia and Hawaii, to demonstrate that they are at a higher risk and need proper attention. Despite a lack of research on body-salient communities, this thesis argues that these cultures are particularly at risk and should be further monitored and assessed.

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Krivatsy, Sophia, "Eating Disorders in Young Women: Social Factors and their Implications for Body-Salient Cultures" (2020). CMC Senior Theses . 2343. https://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/2343

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A critique of the literature on etiology of eating disorders

Azadeh a rikani.

1 Douglas Hospital Research Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H4H 1R3;

3 Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3A 1A1;

Zia Choudhry

2 Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3H 1B1;

4 Division of Research & Medical Education, International Maternal and Child Health Foundation, Montreal, QC, Canada, H7S 2N5;

Adnan M Choudhry

5 Neurochemistry Research Unit, University of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan, 71000;

Muhammad W Asghar

6 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E1;

Dilkash Kajal

7 Department of Medical Imaging, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5;

Abdul Waheed

8 Department of Family and Community Medicine, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, USA, 17033;

Nusrat J Mobassarah

9 Institute of Integrated Cell-Material Science, Kyoto University, Yoshida Ushinomiyacho, Sakyo – ku, JAPAN, 606-8501

The development of eating disorders including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and atypical eating disorders that affect many young women and even men in the productive period of their lives is complex and varied. While numbers of presumed risk factors contributing to the development of eating disorders are increasing, previous evidence for biological, psychological, developmental, and sociocultural effects on the development of eating disorders have not been conclusive. Despite the fact that a huge body of research has carefully examined the possible risk factors associated with the eating disorders, they have failed not only to uncover the exact etiology of eating disorders, but also to understand the interaction between different causes of eating disorders. This failure may be due complexities of eating disorders, limitations of the studies or combination of two factors. In this review, some risk factors including biological, psychological, developmental, and sociocultural are discussed.

Introduction

Eating disorders, particularly, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have been center of attention for clinicians and researchers. Eating disorders are one of the significant problems in the care of adolescents and even children. These complex disorders are believed to arise from interaction of multiple risk factors. Eating disorders are defined by disturbance in eating habits that may be either excessive or insufficient food intake. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating are the most common forms of eating disorder based on diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-IV). As defined in DSM-IV, anorexia nervosa is a constant attempt to maintain body weight below minimally normal weight (85%) or body mass index <17.5 for age and height, with an intense fear of weight gain even though under weight, and inaccurate perception of own body size, shape, or weight. It may accompany with amenorrhea in girls and women after menarche. DSM-IV also defines bulimia nervosa as recurrent binge eating episodes followed by recurrent purging, excessive exercise, or prolonged fasting at least two times per week for three months. Excessive concern about weight or shape is also very common in bulimia nervosa. Another type of eating disorders is binge-eating disorder that is characterized with recurrent binge eating without purging, excessive exercise, or fasting. Atypical eating disorder is referred to clinically significant eating disorders associated with unexplained weight loss, rumination, unexplained food intolerances or an extremely picky eating habit that does not meet the criteria of anorexia nervosa, bulimia, or binge disorder. 1

Prevalence of Eating Disorders

The average prevalence rates for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are 0.3% and 1% among adolescence and young people in western countries respectively. Prevalence rates of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa increase during transition period from adolescence to adulthood. 2 Lifetime prevalence rates for eating disorder are higher among women than men ( Table 1 ). 3 A Canadian study reported that 4% of Canadian boys in grade nine and ten used anabolic steroids. Use of anabolic steroid in males may be an indicator of body preoccupation. The estimated rate of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in males is between 5% and 15%. 4 Men’s reluctance to be diagnosed with eating disorders or to participate in the study of eating disorders have been a big challenge; consequently, rate of eating disorders in males may be higher than it is reported. According to a 2002 survey, prevalence of eating disorders is 1.5% among Canadian women aged 15–24 years. 5 Another Canadian survey in 2002 indicated that 28% of girls in grade nine and 29% of girls in grade ten showed weight loss behaviors. 4

Impact of Eating Disorders on the Canadian Economy

Although eating disorders mostly receive community treatment, hospitalization may be needed for severe cases. In-patient crude hospital separations for any diagnosed eating disorders have increased by 4.7% between 1994 and 1999 in Canada (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 1999). Despite decrease in hospitalization duration for eating disorders between 1987 and 1999 reported by the Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Control, Public Health Agency for Canada reported increased rates of hospitalization for eating disorders among women in general hospitals. In 2005/2006, hospitalization rate for adolescence girl with eating disorders were 2.5 times the rate of young women and 6 times the rate of any other groups (Canadian Institute for Health Information, 2008). The increase in the rate of hospitalization could be due to either increased cases of inpatient treatment or higher rate of eating disorders, or combination of two factors. Further studies are required to clarify exact cause(s) of increased rate of hospitalization for eating disorders in Canada. In 1993 physician billing data, hospitalization data, and self-reported productivity losses were used to estimate mental illness cost to Canadian economy. It was estimated that the cost of mental illnesses was $7.331 billion in 1997. 6

Although eating disorders are among the mental illnesses that occasionally require hospitalization since hospitalization rate is increasing, even if costs of outpatient services are not taken into account, eating disorders can have a considerable impact on the Canadian economy. The exact estimation of economic burden of mental illness including eating disorders would be a big challenge, because of a lack of accurate data both on cost of services and productivity losses.

Mortality Rate in Eating Disorders

Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any other mental illnesses. It is estimated that 10% of people with anorexia nervosa die within 10 years of the onset of disorder (Sullivan, 2002). One study showed the mean crude mortality rate of 5.0% for anorexia nervosa. In the surviving patients, on an average, only 46.9% of patients had full recovery, while 33.5% improved, and 20.8% had a chronic course of disease. 7 , 8 Based on total sample of 196 female with bulimia nervosa, the mean crude mortality rate was 2.0% for bulimia nervosa. 10 A lower standardized mortality rate (the ratio of the observed number of deaths to the expected number of deaths in a matched population) for anorexia nervosa compared to normal populations is reported by some studies. However, a recent Canadian study that assessed 326 patients diagnosed with anorexia nervosa for 20 years showed a higher mortality rate for anorexia nervosa patients than normal populations in Canada. 11 , 12 The challenges that this study faced over 20 years of follow up are: disconnection of cases with research group because of moving outside the British Columbia province; reassessment of previously diagnosed cases of eating disorders three times over 20 years based on three different revisions of DSM-IV that could have led to removal of few cases from study after a long term follow up.

Psychiatric Co-morbidity in Eating Disorders

Various psychiatric co-morbidities such as depression, anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance abuse, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders, and personality disorders are prominent in patients with eating disorders. Suicide and suicide attempts are dangerous comorbidities in eating disorders. Although primary cause of pre-mature death in eating disorders are medical co-morbidities, a meta-analysis that combined the results of 42 published studies of mortality of eating disorders determined that the second most common cause of death in eating disorders is suicide. 7 About 10% to 20% of patients with anorexia nervosa and 25% to 35% of patients with bulimia nervosa have a history of at least one suicide attempt. Standardized mortality rate for suicide in anorexia nervosa is estimated to be up to 5 or even more. 11 According to the statistics from public health agency of Canada, suicide is the eleventh cause of death in Canada, and more than 3,500 suicides, at a rate of about 11 per 100,000 are recorded per year. Eating disorders clearly contribute to suicide rates in Canada. An accurate suicide rate of eating disorders is very difficult because of unreliability of suicide statistics in general, difficulties in uncovering the exact cause of death, and undiagnosed cases of eating disorders who commit suicide.

Medical Co-morbidity in Eating Disorders

Wide range of medical complications such as anemia, endocrine system dysfunction, electrolytes disturbances, and cardiovascular diseases accompany eating disorders. Severity of medical complications depend on speed of weight loss, severity of underweight, duration of eating disorders, age of patients, and the intensity of purging ( Table 2 ). 11

Etiology of Eating Disorders

Biological factors.

Genetic effects: A growing body of twin studies confirmed that there is an undeniable link between genetic factors and eating disorders. One of the twin study, in which twenty- six twins with anorexia nervosa including 13 twins (7MZ, 6DZ) with threshold and 13 twins (7MZ, 6DZ) with sub-threshold anorexia nervosa were studied, 13 neither of DZ twins met the criteria for diagnosis of anorexia nervosa, while 29%–50% of MZ twins were concordant for anorexia nervosa. Although some of the twin studies believe that contributions of shared environmental effects (the same family environment in which twins grow up), and non-shared environmental effects (negative life events) are often small but these effects were also included in the reported twin studies.

One of the limitations of twin study could be due to the short follow up period. Some cases that are not concordant may turn to be concordant later, and unaccounted cases can affect heritability estimate for eating disorders. Small sample size is another limitation in twin studies that prohibits researchers to study wide range of non-shared and shared environmental effects, and probably overestimates rate of heritability. Study of larger sample size that preferentially includes different racial groups would be more useful.

Neurobiology

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamin, 5HT) is believed to participate not only in appetite regulation but also in mood regulation. Altered tone or transmission of serotonin mediates anxiety reaction, problem with response inhibition, aggression, suicidality, heightened vigilance, and self-injury. 14 Although exact cause of 5-HT dysfunction in eating disorders is unknown, but several studies presumed that alteration of 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A receptor activities, the 5-HTT (5-HT transporter), and CSF 5-HIAA levels can be involved in patients with eating disorders. 15 Several studies confirmed persistence of alterations in serotonin activity, 16 , 17 and also persistence of anxiety, perfectionism, and obsessive behavior 18 after recovery from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Regarding these findings, serotonin may indirectly mediate its effects on development of eating disorders through some personality traits that are prominent in patients with eating disorders. Study of subtle differences in patterns of functional alteration of serotonin in subjects with pre-morbid personality traits without eating disorders, and in subjects with eating disorders without these personality traits may be helpful though sample size would be small in this group. Data collection related to pre-morbid personality traits would be highly desirable. Interestingly, one experimental study showed alteration of mesolimibic dopamine and serotonin as a result of restricted eating coupled with excessive exercise in activity-based anorexia model. 19 Based on this observation, it can be concluded that aberrant eating behaviors can potentially alter serotonin function and therefore result in persistence of functional alterations of serotonin after recovery of eating disorders. Neither of the studies interrogated persistence of functional alterations of serotonin as a “scar of prolonged aberrant eating behavior”. Although, study of possible functional alterations of serotonin due to aberrant eating behaviors is costly and invasive, but it would contribute to understanding complex relationship between functional alterations of serotonin and eating disorder.

Though one previous study suggested heritability of functional alterations of serotonin by showing anomalous peripheral uptake of serotonin in unaffected first-degree relatives of bulimia nervosa patients 20 but functional alterations of serotonin can be still considered as an outcome of aberrant eating behavior in patients. Further studies are required to confirm heritability of abnormalities of serotonin functions in eating disorders. To differentiate abnormalities of serotonin due to heritability from those due to aberrant eating behaviors, study of serotonin function in suspected subjects before the onset of eating disorders may be useful.

Psychology Factors

Body image disturbance.

Body cachexia, the degree of body satisfaction and dissatisfaction is believed to be an integral part of self-esteem. Individuals assess their bodies by measuring them against ideal body type of culture. The result of this self-assessment determines body satisfaction or dissatisfaction. 21 A prospective study on college freshman women showed that figure dissatisfaction, ineffectiveness and, public self-consciousness were associated with symptoms of eating disorders. 22 Since the body dissatisfaction data collection was done after development of eating disorders in this study, body dissatisfaction could be a predictor for worsening of eating symptoms rather than a predictor for development of eating disorders. Striegelmoore et al. also showed that severity of body dissatisfaction are correlated with worsening of disordered eating in sample of first year college women. 20 Another Study disproved body image disturbance as a predictive of later eating disorders after 2 years follow up of college students. 21 Considering to changes in patterns of thinking due to developmental process, studies that begin to collect data in very early adolescence, and follow up patients into adulthood may be more informative.

Another useful approach is the study of body dissatisfaction in subjects who already recovered from eating disorders (recovered study design). Regardless of the fact that eating disorders are known as psychiatric disturbances with persistent residual symptoms, this type of study could define the role of body dissatisfaction either as an etiology or as a clinical feature of eating disorders. Examination of other variables that decrease or increase the risk of eating disorders may overcome lack of unanimous agreement about role of body dissatisfaction in development of eating disorders. Stice et al. opposed the role of body image disturbances in development of eating disorder because they believe that body dissatisfaction is a risk factor for depression. 23 Regarding this notion, concurrent depression should be carefully assessed in patients with eating disorders when studying body dissatisfaction as a risk factor for eating disorders.

A Canadian survey showed that 34% of adolescent girls and 24% of adolescent boys in Grades 6 to 10 thought that they were too obese. This notion increased among adolescent girls from 25% in grade 6 to 40% in grade 10, while only 15% were actually obese (Public Health Agency of Canada, 2008). Regarding significant number of students with body dissatisfaction, prospective studies are required to find out what percentage of these Canadian adolescent girls and boys will develop full picture of eating disorders later. In addition to huge amount of budget required, this study may face another big challenge that is convincing adolescent girls and especially boys to participate in this study. This study helps health care system in Canada to plan prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment of potential future patients with eating disorders in advance.

Personality traits

Role of personality disorders in the development of eating disorders has been the center of attention for many researchers. Several studies have found that personality traits such as impulsivity, novelty seeking, stress reactivity, harm avoidance, perfectionism, and other personality traits are common in patients with eating disorders. Most of these studies assessed personality traits in their subjects during illness. Therefore, their personality traits could be a reflection of adverse effects of starvation. 24 A study shows the effect of starvation and recurrent binge and purging on development of anxiety, social withdrawal, and irritability in previously normal people only a few weeks after restricted food intake (Keys et al., 1950). Numerous studies used personality inventories such as Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) to assess specific cognitive and behavioral dimensions of eating disorders such as drive for thinness, bulimia, body dissatisfaction ineffectiveness, perfectionism, interpersonal distrust, interceptive awareness, and maturity fear. Personality inventories are designed for the assessment of adult populations. Consequently use of these inventories for assessment of personality traits in majority of subjects with eating disorders who are typically in early adolescent may not be appropriate. 24 One important factor that could have possible effect on the accuracy of results in the study of personality traits in adolescences is the constantly changing patterns of perception about the environment and oneself due to ongoing developmental changes in personality. Medical and non-medical therapy in patients with chronic eating disorders could also affect post-morbid functions and personality traits of these patients. Interestingly some studies show the changes in behavior patterns such as harm avoidance, persistence, self-directedness, and self-transcendence after in-patient Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for eating disorders. 11 Future researches should be aware of the effects of therapy on the result of study of personality traits in eating disorder cases.

Developmental factors

Childhood sexual abuse.

Despite the fact that childhood sexual (CSA) abuse as a risk factor for eating disorders has been a source of debate among clinicians and researchers. While some studies showed strong relationship between CSA and eating disorders, some other studies strongly refuse to accept this relationship. Discrepancy between the results of various studies could be due to the non-uniformity in definition of CSA. Although association between different psychiatric disorders with severity of trauma due to CSA is not well understood yet, but different severity of CSA ranging from non-touching, single episode to long-term sexual abuse combined with physical abuse reported by victims may affect the result of studies. The entry time of sexually abused subjects with eating disorders into the study should also be considered. If the gap between the development of eating disorders and occurrence of sexual abuse is very short, subjects may not be recovered from memories of such a horrible experience. Severity of eating disorders might also affect their sexual abuse reports. In severe forms of eating disorders, CSA experience may be inaccessible to victims. 26 Increase in the rate of CSA reported between 1998 and 2003 in Quebec 27 ( Table 3 ) could be a warning sign for increased rate of psychiatric problems including eating disorder in Canada. A well-designed research project with consideration on the subject’s ethnic origins, age at the time of sexual abuse, socioeconomic class, and family dynamics could contribute to the understanding of possible relationship between CSA eating disorder with CSA. The challenges this research may face are accuracy of data, careful examination of other variables, lack of victims’ confidence to report the abuse to police or to child protection system, and clear definition of CSA. This study could also suffer from the problem of cost effectiveness.

Socio-Cultural Factor

Western cultural influence.

Exposure to western culture that values slim body for women is presumed to play an important role in the increased eating disorders worldwide. Rate of eating disorders in countries such as Japan, Iran, and Singapore continues to increase among women who have been exposed to western culture through temporary living in western countries for education, or even short-time vacation, or through mass media. 28 , 29 Increase in the rate of eating disorders in populations exposed to western culture in those countries could strongly support the role of western culture in the development of eating disorders. Study of effects of western culture in relation to incidence of eating disorders in non-western immigrant women and girls has been recently given special attention. Swanson et al. studied binge eating (BED) disorder in Mexican immigrants to U.S. 30 Although anxiety and depression may not be etiology of BED, they adjusted prior anxiety and depression that could act as non-specific markers of high risk for psychopathology. This study showed significantly increased rate of BED in U.S born Mexican with two U.S born parents. This study also concluded that cultural influence underlying in the increased rate of BED occurs slowly. Most of the studies failed to control at least one variable such as socioeconomic status especially family income, which may have a positive correlation with body dissatisfaction, age differences, despite strong link between age and eating disorders. 31 Usage of English language at home and religion could also be a potential cause of higher tendency for thinking about dieting and body shape, and as an indicator of acculturation. 32 , 33

Another study demonstrated that as generations further removed from immigration experiences, influence of western culture on body ideals and standards becomes prominent. In this study native Canadian born woman with one or no immigrant parent already completed acculturation had higher tendency to think about dieting than immigrant women or native-born women with two immigrant parents. Acculturation in this paper was defined as the adoption of Canadian values, lifestyle habits, particularly, eating habits, and dietary preferences. As far as development of eating disorders is concerned, the term “acculturation” is referred to adoption of negative aspects of Canadian eating and lifestyle habits similar to the symptoms of eating disorders, especially BED. 32 Although this research group carefully considered effects of family income, age differences, and English-speaking at home, but neither of the subjects in this study fulfilled diagnostic criteria for eating disorders based on DSM-IV criteria. This study also failed to control psychobiological factors that might possibly make the subjects vulnerable to sociocultural pressures.

A large population of immigrants in Canada coming from non-western countries provides an excellent opportunity to study influences of western culture on different ethnic origins with different religious affiliations, socioeconomic status, and eating habits.

This study could contribute to better understanding of connection between western culture and eating disorders. Careful examination of a broad range of non-specific factors that result in psychiatric disorders associated with immigration in immigrant patients with eating disorder and their family may be a challenge for this study. Study of gene influence, particularly, in generations of families of mixed heritage with eating disorders is highly recommended.

It has been hypothesized that eating disorders have multiple and often shared etiologies including biological, psychological, developmental, and sociocultural. A tightly woven network of causes, symptoms, and outcomes of eating disorders makes the study of etiology of these disorders very challenging. Some suggested risk factors for eating disorders require to be defined as either integral parts of eating disorders syndrome such as body dissatisfaction, and perfectionism or outcome of prolonged disordered eating such as functional alterations in serotonin, and some mood disturbances. Researchers should structure their thought processes around this concept that some of currently well-known risk factors for eating disorders are concurrent symptoms of eating disorders. Hence paying special attention to the new and evolved concepts is highly recommended while studying the etiology of eating disorders.

The article complies with International Committee of Medical Journal editor’s uniform requirements for manuscript.

Conflict of Interests: None; Source of funding: None.

Eating Disorder is a Growing Problem in Modern Society

This essay will discuss the growing prevalence of eating disorders in modern society. It will explore the various types of eating disorders, their potential causes, and contributing factors such as societal beauty standards, media influence, and psychological stressors. The piece will also examine the impact of eating disorders on physical and mental health, and the importance of early detection, treatment, and prevention strategies. Additionally, PapersOwl presents more free essays samples linked to Anorexia.

How it works

There are many misconceptions about eating disorders. One that stuck out to me is that people believe that eating disorders are a choice. Eating disorders arise from part of a person’s genetic makeup and due to environmental factors. ( ‘Eating Disorder Myths.’) Their are many studies out their that help prove that eating disorders are often influenced by a person’s genes. Twin studies are useful in proving that eating disorders can be a family affair. (‘Understanding Eating Disorders, Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge-Eating | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine.

It is shown that if a person carries a specific type of genotype within their DNA that they are at a higher risk for developing an eating disorder. Along with genetics their are key personality traits that can lead to a person having a eating disorder like perfectionism, obsessive thinking, and impulse decisions. Some of these traits can arise due to a traumatic life events or situations. Those who survive a traumatic experience often obsessively over think on that situation and how they maybe could have changed what had happened. This feeling of lack of control brings on eating disorders because what you eat and how much you eat is a form of control that some people feel they have lost in other aspects of their lives. ( ‘What Causes an Eating Disorder?’)

Eating disorders sometimes start by individuals constricting what they eat or they eat in larger portions than what is normal for them usually. The desire of control over the food soon becomes overbearing and extreme food constriction or overeating occurs. Eating disorders aren’t always just about food constriction and how many calories a person may want to consume. Many individuals think that they need to be a certain size or shape which shows the psychological aspect of eating disorders.

There are a variety of eating disorders like anorexia nervosa which is the most common, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. With anorexia nervosa, the person thinks they are extremely overweight even if that may not be true and starves themselves. Bulimia nervosa usually consists of an individual consuming large amounts of food and then purging right after or using modes of extreme exercise. Binge eaters seem similar to those with bulimia nervosa but they do not purge at all and many times these people become extremely overweight or obese. There are some environmental factors that can affect a person’s eating disorder. Due to having an eating disorder a person may also experience depression, substance abuse, or anxiety disorders. Eating disorders have a harsh impact on the body and can lead to life-threatening consequences like heart failure, kidney failure, and even death. (‘Understanding Eating Disorders, Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge-Eating | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine.’)

Some of these environmental factors are found through the media in that there is a thin ideal body image that most women perceive they must have in order to be valuable to society. The media has a very large influence on the younger generation through social media apps like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. The internet has been growing rapidly with pro-eating disorder attention.

Thinspiration is a widely searched pro-eating disorder platform worldwide. This tactic includes of thin and inspiring celebrities that are shared on the internet using blogs or discussion-based websites to share photos and dieting tips or “secrets”. Most of the pro-eating disorder websites operate secretly under supportive groups that try and help get people with eating disorders to help through support groups. They turn these groups from helping people with eating disorders recover to encouraging eating disorders. Some of these websites encourage competition between people about who can lose the most weight in a very short amount of time to an extreme level of thinness. Websites target young adolescents, mainly females, by encouraging eating disorder behaviors without fully engaging in it to try and get young girls addicted to these unhealthy behaviors. ( Lewis Stephen) Some of the first ways many people learn about pro-anorexia websites and thinspiration is from apps or ads on social media websites. The “thigh gap” was one of the most recent pro-anorexia movements to lure young adolescents into habits averting to extreme thinness.

The “thigh gap” was classified by a person standing with the ankles touching and having a small gap between the thighs. The “thigh gap” was a confirmation to people of who was deemed to be skinny and who was said to be fat. Social media sites became flooded with images of girls who were said to be perfect in aspects that they had a “thigh gap”. ( Cruz, Deborah) Thinspiration is continuously growing in the social media world with different aspects of how people should look every year. These websites drag adolescents into their sites by presenting pictures of people like celebrities that people admire who match the images of eating disorders and how people can one day look like these famous celebrities. Although in most cases this is nearly impossible for the average human.

Anorexia nervosa is one of the biggest eating disorders that targets young women. Although men can have an eating disorder women are more susceptible to them. Anorexia nervosa has some defining characteristics that set it apart from other eating disorders. This type of eating disorder is mainly characterized by restricting food intake and a fear of gaining weight. Anorexia affects as many as 1.2 to 4.2 % of females worldwide. Many girls idolize celebrities and use the media to find celebrity images to keep them motivated to restrict eating habits. Most of these young girls who admire celebrities use celebrities to inspire their dieting and exercising habits. This is how young females get hooked on the idea that social media and what celebrities do is what everyone should be doing. Some of these images that people find of celebrities promote healthy eating and exercise but there are also images and magazine covers or articles that secretly promote behaviors of anorexia. These pro- anorexia articles promote negative body perception and increase a person’s idea of being overweight. ( Yom, Tov,)

Anorexia is widely celebrated as a lifestyle on many social media platforms. Tumbler which is a site used by many of the younger population which includes photos and blogs has a very popular article that contains a blog of one month with an eating disorder. This blog has millions of views and is saved by many viewers which in the blog shines a positive light and perspective on anorexia. Many photos on these tumbler sites show very underweight bodies that are very exposed that comment on how beautiful they are and how these bodies are “dream bodies”. (Perloff, Richard.)Studies show that online there are social media communities that create groups for those with eating disorders.

There is a small group of individuals who have an eating disorder and search for a community of people who also struggle with this disease and want to recover. The other social media community for those with an eating disorder is usually a very large group of individuals who know they have an eating disorder and continue to encourage and reinforce others to continue the poor eating habits as they do. These two different communities never communicate with each other due to the fear of being forced to change the way their own community runs. Many people who suffer within these communities do not end up getting the help they need due to the fear and shame they may feel from others. These online community groups come in handy for these reasons. People who have an eating disorder remain unknown when they are online and behind a screen sometimes seeking help and other times seeking reassurance that this eating disorder is okay because many others are also engaging in this same behavior. ( Wang tao)

Eating disorders are not only influenced by social media but it is one of the biggest influential parts of today and how people value themselves. Social media is full of models who are designed to look perfect in front of the camera to influence people to buy a product that they are selling or help them make more publicity. The only way to stop social media from controlling the minds of adolescents is to get rid of it together and for people to speak up about their struggles. One day hopefully social media will be less influential in what people believe in.

Works Ctied

• Cruz, Deborah. ‘The Thigh Gap- Thinspiration for the Body Image Obsessed · The TRUTH About Motherhood.’ The TRUTH About Motherhood. N.p., 03 Apr. 2017. Web.28 Oct. 2018.
• ‘Eating Disorder Myths.’ National Eating Disorders Association. N.p., 20 Dec. 2016. Web. 29 Oct 2018.
• Lewis, Stephen P., and Alexis E. Arbuthnott. “Searching for Thinspiration: The Nature of Internet Searches for Pro-Eating Disorder Websites.” CyberPsychology, Behavior & Social Networking, vol. 15, no. 4, Apr. 2012, pp. 200–204. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1089/cyber.2011.0453.
• Perloff, Richard. “Social Media Effects on Young Women’s Body Image Concerns: Theoretical Perspectives and an Agenda for Research.” Sex Roles, vol. 71, no. 11–12, Dec. 2014, pp. 363–377. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s11199-014-0384-6.
• ‘Understanding Eating Disorders, Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge-Eating | NIH MedlinePlus the Magazine.’ MedlinePlus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 27 Oct 2018.
• Wang, Tao, et al. “Social Interactions in Online Eating Disorder Communities: A Network Perspective.” PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no. 7, July 2018, pp. 1–17. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0200800.
• ‘What Causes an Eating Disorder?’ The Center for Eating Disorders. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct 2018.
• Yom, Tov, Elad, and Danah M. Boyd. “On the Link between Media Coverage of
• Anorexia and Pro-Anorexic Practices on the Web.” International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 47, no. 2, Mar. 2014, pp. 196–202. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1002/eat.22195.

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Creating a strong research paper on eating disorders: thesis statement writing tips.

These research papers discuss issues relating to abnormal attitudes towards food, and which change eating habits and behaviour. Study of eating habits and behaviours has been on focus for some time now, especially since they carry damaging results such as increased obesity among children. There are many issues to focus on when writing this type of paper, from the types of disorders, their causes to effects. A strong research paper will detail present data and information (not very old data) on eating disorders. One might have to narrow down on a particular country or area if it is a case study paper.  

Identify all the types of eating disorder

A paper on the types of eating disorder can begin by identifying all the types of eating disorder - there are many types, from anorexia nervosa, bulimia, to binge eating. It can then explain each in detail. First, a thesis statement is the argument a writer will consider as central in his writing. The related thesis statement would, for instance, focus on taking a position on which is the most prevalent type of eating disorder. It may also take a position on which is most prevalent among a given age group such as children. One can also provide data from recognized institutions about these issues.

Write a thesis statement

In discussing the causes of eating disorder, a researcher can focus on the main cause in writing the thesis statement. For instance, asserting that the lack of parental guidance on best eating habits among children is the major cause of eating disorders as the thesis statement. A student/writer must, however, do some investigations on the causes of the disorder, to ensure that the statement is developed from a point of knowledge. Investigations also must be done in consideration of reputable sources - for instance peer-reviewed articles from established journals in medicine or food science.

Write about the causes and effects

While discussing causes of eating disorders, a writer/student might focus on what the major cause of the disorder they think is. Again, some background checks from existing literature will ensure that the statement is developed from a position of knowledge other than guess work. Remember, the thesis statement must be proved by evidence later on the body of the paper. If the lecturer has not specified the topic, it is advisable to carry out a background check to see which areas have enough materials before getting started. This will be critical to avoiding a writer's block and quickening the writing process.

Always remember to make the thesis statement as catchy as possible. It should also be clear about the issues targeted. A strong paper must also be revised to remove grammatical errors.

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