The exact cause of eating disorders cannot be pinned down to one single factor.
It is known that there is a dynamic interplay of several contributory factors including biological, psychological (or emotional and behavioral) and socio-cultural factors.
Aside from these, there are some other events or situations, which may increase the likelihood of developing eating disorders.
Among these are: .
Dieting.
Given our society's preference for thinness, positive feedbacks are often given to people who lose weight by dieting.
Even those who unintentionally lost weight such as when a person suffered from an illness or an accident are generally praised for their newly found thinness.
These positive comments greatly reinforce the person's desire and will power to further lose weight by adopting a stricter diet.
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Weight gain.
People who gain weight may be disappointed with their new shape and may even be ridiculed and scoffed at by other people.
Since people generally want and need to be appreciated, some may go through painstaking measures like excessive dieting to gain other people's approval and to get back in shape.
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Puberty.
Coping with bodily changes during puberty may put undue stress on some adolescents.
Not all teens develop at the same rate or at the same age.
Some may develop maturing bodies a lot sooner than other boys or girls of the same age.
These evident changes may constantly be the cause of unwanted attention and negative peer pressure.
Because of this, some teens may develop increased sensitivity to criticisms and casual comments about their weight or changing body shape.
This may very well set the stage for the onset of eating disorders.
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Events that bring changes.
Almost any factor or single event which brings changes can also cause emotional distress.
Transferring to a new school, a new neighborhood or a new job, problems in personal relationships or the death of a loved one may cause an emotional upheaval.
Some people under these situations may latch on to food to regain some sense of control over their lives.
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Sports, work and artistic requirements.
Several sports which require agility and mobility necessitate the need for lower body weights.
This is especially true in the fields of gymnastics, figure skating, running, wrestling and the like.
Coaches and parents may also contribute in the development of eating disorders by suggesting that young athletes need to lose weight to be more competitive.
Models, dancers, actors and actresses also need to look their best in order to succeed in their chosen fields.
Professional men and women also believe that their chances of reaching the peak of their careers will be greatly enhanced by their physical appearances.
All these burning ambitions and the quest for success may eventually turn these people to resort to excessive dieting.
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Societal pressure and media hype.
The role of the society and the media cannot be discounted in the ever-increasing number of cases of eating disorders.
Thinness is being glorified ever so faithfully that young girls are opt to equate it with success and happiness.
They are led to believe that they can only be happy and successful if they are thin.