What are the causes of Anorexia?

Anorexia is an eating disorder, a psychological condition where the person is obsessed with a need to diet and reduce weight and is constantly dieting in this process. The person shows a lack of appetite and is terribly anxious to stay thin.

This is an obsessive-compulsive disorder that causes depression and ill health due to malnutrition and poor eating habits and a person’s desire to stay thin.

Causes of anorexia

• The person’s obsession to stay slim and lose weight.

• The person is constantly and consciously making efforts to lose weight though underweight by avoiding fatty and heavy foods. Low-calorie food consumption and less intake than required add to the woes.

• The obsession to appear perfect and slim based on role model adoration. If he or she has a role model in a film star or fashion icon then in trying to follow in their footsteps or in trying to ape their zero sizes the person becomes conscious of eating well and exercises more than required. This anxiety combined with physical stress plus low-calorie intake, all take their toll on the person’s health and anorexia sets in.

• Peer group pressure or influence too can cause depression and anxiety to diet and stay slim leading to anorexia.

• Media advertisements and adulation of zero size too can cause this kind of obsession to stay perfect or attain an hourglass figure in an attempt to gain popularity or become a fashion icon.

• If there is a history of neglect, child abuse or family problem then this has a tremendous pressure on the brain to succeed and look perfect to regain attention through some strange methods. Sometimes depression too leads to such an outcome.

• If some sibling or a parent has anorexia then as it is a genetic disorder the next progeny or kin is affected through genes.

• The Personal fear of becoming overweight and desire to stay slim lead to chronic dieting sprees despite being underweight. One loses control after a span of time and cannot stop on account of the rigid mindset and a stubborn attitude.

• Some seek emotional relief in starving and suffering hunger pangs. They try to overcome some loss of a loved one or deprivation by resorting to this method. Their sensitive nature seeks pain relief through anorexic tendencies.

• Drug abuse or alcoholism too can offset the loss of appetite in the beginning later it becomes a vicious circle in which the person gets caught and ends up becoming anorexic. Some anorexics resort to alcohol and drugs to alleviate hunger pangs. So it’s vice versa too.

Hence it can be concluded that anorexia is the result of emotional, social, individual and psychological factors.