What Causes Eating Disorders - And What Do They Cause?

Eating disorders come in various forms. Their presentations range from the emaciated individual with anorexia nervosa, to the person with bulimia nervosa who eats large amount of food ("binge eat") only to throw those up, to individuals with binge eating disorder, and there are also many in-between states of disordered eating. For most, the existence of eating disorders is difficult to understand, because isn't eating the most natural thing of the world? And it is true that eating disorders, at least on first sight, have little rational explanation to them. This book describes distinct paths and reasons for someone to develop an eating disorder. We provide a model that takes into account biological, psychological, and social factors that influence the development of different eating disorder types. We describe vulnerabilities to develop an eating disorder, as well as changes that occur during the illness that can complicate recovery. The book also describes what we know about the brain in eating disorders and how we can make sense of eating disorder behaviors from a biological perspective. We also review treatment approaches that have shown benefits, and present personal accounts from individuals who have had an eating disorder, describing their way to recovery.