Who Is Most at Risk for Developing an Eating Disorder?
Although anyone can develop an eating disorder, the most common victims are adolescent or young adult females from middle- to upper-socioeconomic classes in Westernized cultures. Following are the most common risk factors for developing an eating disorder: * Working, or aspiring to work, in a field that places high emphasis on thinness — such as acting, modeling, ballet or gymnastics. * Previous history of being overweight or being teased about weight, resulting in dieting behavior. * Family history of eating disorders, weight consciousness, alcoholism, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder. * Low self-esteem, high achievement expectations, perfectionism, social insecurity and difficulty identifying and expressing feelings. * For anorexia: personality characteristics that include being overly cautious, fearful of change, hypersensitive and orderly. * For bulimia: personality characteristics that include being impulsive, disorganized, easily bored, and inclined to take risks or t
