Eating disorders are complex psychiatric illnesses with several leading causes and risk factors. This means there is no single cause for someone’s eating disorder. Rather, psychological, biological, and sociocultural factors all contribute to someone’s likelihood of developing an eating disorder.
With such a complex web of contributing causes and risk factors, it’s impossible to pinpoint why someone may develop an eating disorder and why someone else may not.
Knowing the potential causes and risk factors provides important insight into how to prevent and treat eating disorders. It’s been said that the earlier you seek treatment for an eating disorder, the better the chance at full recovery. Read more in Psych Central.