| Similar personality traits like low self-esteem, | | | | distorted body images involving their muscles has |
| dependency, and problems with self-direction are | | | | been reported by experts and it is present to |
| present to people with eating disorders. Specific | | | | men which believe that are "puny" and results in |
| personality disorders or behavioral characteristics | | | | excessive body building, preoccupation with diet |
| that might put people at higher risk for one or | | | | and social problems. |
| both of the eating disorders have been | | | | Another factor which is present in triggering and |
| determined by researchers. | | | | perpetuating eating disorders is negative family |
| The following personality disorders like avoidant | | | | influence. Children with insecure attachments are |
| personalities and dependent personalities mostly in | | | | present in family with parents who fail to provide |
| anorexia and borderline and histrionic personalities | | | | a safe and secure foundation in infancy. Mothers |
| mostly in bulimia and narcissism which can be | | | | play an important role in their child's life. So |
| present in anorexia and bulimia too have been | | | | mothers of people with bulimia are critical and |
| reported by studies. Patients with bulimia or | | | | detached and mothers of anorexics tend to be |
| anorexia can present one of these personality | | | | over-involved in their child's life. People with either |
| traits. The more important factor in determining | | | | eating disorder have parents with alcoholism or |
| treatment choices may be the patient's specific | | | | substance abuse. It seems that psychiatric |
| personality disorders even if they are anorexic | | | | disorders are present to parents of people with |
| and bulimic. | | | | bulimia than parents of patients with anorexia. A |
| Avoidant personalities are present to people with | | | | higher incidence of sexual abuse is often present |
| anorexia. The symptoms which characterize this | | | | to women with bulimia. People with bulimia have |
| personality disorder are: being a perfectionist, | | | | an obese parent or have been overweight |
| being emotionally and sexually inhibited, having less | | | | themselves during childhood. Parents can influence |
| of a fantasy life than people with bulimia or | | | | their children's eating habits and prevent weight |
| without an eating disorder, not being rebellious, or | | | | problems and eating disorders through a healthy |
| usually perceived as always being "good", being | | | | eating habits themselves. |
| terrified of being ridiculed or criticized or of feeling | | | | Genetic factors play an important role in anorexia. |
| humiliated. | | | | From this point of view twins had a tendency to |
| Behavioral and eating pattern can be developed | | | | share specific eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, |
| by the person with both anorexia and avoidant | | | | bulimia nervosa and obesity). A genetic propensity |
| personality disorder. So for some individuals the | | | | toward thinness caused by a faster metabolism |
| only way to obtain love is achieving perfection, | | | | and reinforced by cultural approval, an inherited |
| with all that involves. Trouble-free and attaining | | | | propensity for obesity and inherited personality |
| some ideal image of thinness make part of the | | | | traits are some inherited traits that might make |
| drive for perfection. In this case the individual is | | | | someone susceptible to eating disorders. Culture |
| driven to demand nothing, including food. A sense | | | | pressures is other factor which can lead to |
| of being even more imperfect and a renewed | | | | anorexic people.For example clothes for thin |
| sense of striving for perfection precede the | | | | bodies, TV programs which present anorexic |
| failure to achieve love. Anorexic patients have a | | | | young models. Excessive exercise plays a major |
| total lack of self but generally people with eating | | | | role in many cases of anorexia at athletes. Young |
| disorders are not typically suicidal. Through | | | | female athletes and dancers may present the |
| process of not-eating they try to revenge on | | | | following problems:eating disorders, amenorrhea |
| those whose love is always out of reach. | | | | (absence or irregular menstruation) and |
| Borderline personalities can be present to people | | | | osteoporosis. |
| with bulimic anorexia. The following characteristics | | | | The most common factor present in eating |
| can be present to these people like: frantically | | | | disorders which include chemical abnormalities in |
| fearful of being abandoned, unable to be alone, | | | | the thyroid, the reproductive regions, and areas |
| difficulty to control their anger and impulses, prone | | | | related to stress, well-being and appetite are |
| to idealize other people and unstable moods, | | | | hormonal problems. A result of malnutrition or |
| thought patterns, behavior and self-images. | | | | other aspects of eating disorders is the change of |
| Emotional weapons like temper tantrums, suicide | | | | these chemicals. The limbic system is a small area |
| threats, and hypochondriasis can be used by the | | | | of the brain where many of these abnormalities |
| people with borderline personalities for causing | | | | begins. Also hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis |
| chaos around them. The difficulty in treating | | | | (HPA) is a specific system with an important role |
| bulimia can be the severity of this personality | | | | in eating disorders. In brain is found a small |
| disorder and it can be more important than the | | | | structure that controls our behavior, like eating, |
| presence of psychological problems, such as | | | | sexual behavior and sleeping, and regulates body |
| depression. | | | | temperature, emotions, secretion of hormones, |
| The following personality traits like inability to | | | | and movement called hypothalamus. An extension |
| soothe oneself, inability to empathize with others, | | | | of the hypothalamus downwards called the |
| need for admiration, hypersensitive to criticism or | | | | pituitary gland controls thyroid functions, the |
| defeat can be present to people with bulimia or | | | | adrenal glands, growth and sexual maturation. |
| anorexia which are often highly narcissistic. | | | | Major emotional activities like anxiety, depression, |
| Depression and anxiety disorders can be present | | | | aggression and affection are controlled and |
| to patients which have eating disorder but also | | | | regulated by amygdala,a small structure which lies |
| can be present in families of these patients. It is | | | | deep in the brain. |
| unknown if emotional disorders, especially | | | | Stress hormones called glucocorticoids are |
| obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), are causes | | | | produced by the HPA system, including the |
| of the eating disorders. | | | | primary stress hormone cortisol which is very |
| About 69% of patients with anorexia and 33% of | | | | important in marshaling systems throughout the |
| patients with bulimia have obsessive-compulsive | | | | body (including the heart, lungs, circulation, |
| disorder which is an anxiety disorder. It is believed | | | | metabolism, immune systems, and skin) to deal |
| that eating disorders are variants of OCD. In | | | | quickly with any threat. The inhibition of |
| compulsive behavior, repetitive, rigid, and | | | | neuropeptide Y (NPY), a powerful appetite |
| self-prescribed routines that are intended to | | | | stimulant that also has anti-anxiety properties is |
| prevent the manifestation of the obsession, may | | | | one of the specific effects. Certain |
| be present obsessions which are recurrent or | | | | neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) that |
| persistent mental images, thoughts or ideas. | | | | regulate stress, mood and appetite and are being |
| Generally women with anorexia and OCD may | | | | heavily investigated for a possible role in eating |
| become obsessed with exercise, dieting, and food. | | | | disorders are released by the HPA system. |
| Compulsive rituals like weighing every bit of food, | | | | Serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine are the |
| cutting it into tiny pieces, or putting it into tiny | | | | three hormones that are important. So |
| containers are often developed at these patients. | | | | norepinephrine is a stress hormone, serotonin is |
| Other anxiety disorders like phobias, panic disorder | | | | involved with both well-being and appetite and |
| and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have | | | | dopamine is involved in reward-seeking behavior. |
| been associated with bulimia and anorexia. | | | | Low levels of leptin, a hormone that appears to |
| At people with eating disorders, especially | | | | trigger the hypothalamus to stimulate appetite |
| anorexia, depression is present which is more | | | | have been observed in people with anorexia and |
| severe in darker winter months. Also the patients | | | | bulimia. |
| with bulimia suffer from a specific form of bulimia | | | | The reproductive hormones that are severely |
| which is worse in winter. May seems to be the | | | | depleted in anorexics are produced by the |
| peak month for suicide because the onset of | | | | hypothalamic-pituitary system. Some experts |
| anorexia appears to peak in this month. An eating | | | | believe that these reproductive abnormalities are |
| disorder is rarely cured by treating and relieving | | | | a result of anorexia and others have shown that |
| depression. Social, psychologic or possibly biologic | | | | menstrual disturbances occurred before severe |
| factors can cause a distorted view of one's body | | | | malnutrition set in and remained a problem long |
| called body dysmorphic disorder which can be | | | | after weight gain in 30% to 50% of people with |
| associated with anorexia or bulimia but can also | | | | anorexia. |
| appear without any eating disorder. In this case | | | | There are many factors who contribute at |
| emotional disorders, including obsessive-compulsive | | | | development of anorexia. Unfortunately teenage |
| disorder and depression are commonly to people | | | | females are the most affected. |
| with this disorder. A disorder in which people have | | | | |