Eating disorders are largely caused due to lifestyle and psychological issues. Individuals suffering from these disorders often have a misplaced attitude towards food. These disorders are given different names based on their psychology.

Anorexia nervosa is an illness where an individual has a distorted image of his/her body. People who indulge in overeating and purge with guilt are said to be ill with bulimia nervosa. On the other hand, binge eating disorder causes people to eat enormous amounts of food in a very short time period.

Each of these illnesses denotes unique psychology problems. The causes may be genetic, environmental, biological or psychological:

Causes of anorexia nervosa
Being thin is considered to be fit by many; however, that is not true. People suffering from this disorder want to look thin. They either restrict their food intake or purge after a meal.

Additionally, the culture of being thin has taken over the media. People fancy being thin, not comprehending what the effects of a lack of calories can do to the body.

Some of the causes of this reversible disorder are:

• Compulsions of the professions like acting, modeling, and ballet keep people on their toes to find ways to remain thin.
• Sexual abuse during childhood or childhood trauma may affect the eating pattern.
• Peer pressure to remain thin is a compelling cause of anorexia. Being thin is considered to have an appeal.
• Genetics is a predisposition on eating habits.
• Hormone imbalance causes disorders in eating patterns

Causes of bulimia nervosa
This eating disorder is coupled with excessive eating and an urge to reduce weight. To achieve that, an individual suffering from bulimia nervosa purges after a heavy meal or over exercises. The causes of bulimia nervosa are similar to that of anorexia nervosa:

• Transitions in life causing stress or changes in life. For example, the death of a family member
• Childhood sexual abuse and trauma
• Profession or career demanding to be thin
• Unfavorable self-esteem
• Negative body image

Causes of binge-eating disorder
Binge eating, like all other eating disorders, is driven by many factors: biological, psychological, social, and cultural.

• Disoriented hormone function in the body causes many imbalances. The eating disorder could be one such consequence. Imbalance in hormone secretion may lead to weight gain. To cope with the issue, one may take to binge eating.
• There is a strong connection between binge eating and depression. Low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, and difficulty coping with feelings can also contribute to binge eating.
• Where a person is subject to trauma, such as childhood sexual abuse, he/she is likely to take to binge eat. Social pressures to look thin and beauty manifested through media may also drive a person to binge eat.

People with eating disorders may not open up about their conditions to others. However, these illnesses manifest certain signs and symptoms. Though these disorders are potentially fatal, they can be treated, if they are identified in time.