why do you become bulimic or anorexic?

Question

Just curious. I mean i've always been very insecure about my weight and a perfectionist but... are these traits that most people with eds have. why do some people have eating disorders and others don't

Still learning: its not that i want to have an eating disorder. it not that i'm considering doing it. I have this problem and i dont know what to do about it. it's not about the people in the movies or in the magazines, i don't care what they look like. i can't stop doing what i'm doing i just don't know how

Answer 1

Because they need to have some kind of control over their life and it is the only way to gain it in their minds. Actually it is not them controlling anything - but it is the disorder controlling them instead. They think because they are able to binge and purge with no one catching them (yet) or simply have the "willpower" to stop eating, that this is control over their bodies. It is also due to lack of self-esteem. Bad combo. It is from desperation and very low self esteem that someone begins the process, and once started it is difficult to get off the merry-go-round without help. Perfectionism is a form of trying to gain control over your life and going overboard. (if you are even considering doing it, get counseling. My daughter has lost 4 friends from this terrible disorder, and they were way too young to die - 14-26 years old). She is becoming a nutritionist focusing on this problem and other eating disorders because of those deaths. Don't be insecure about your weight - it is the inner self that counts the most, and as you get older you will understand that. No one is perfect - those films, tv shows, magazines, all are airbrushed and/or altered in other ways. Even frame by frame for movies. Don't fall into the trap - you are so much more than a body, and weight is just another way of making us feel inferior. Healthy is not skin and bones. I am a bit overweight, but am actually in good health according to tests - I exercise and I more importantly work on my inner strength and self image a lot. So I have love handles - who cares? I am still me and that is what counts.
Think positive thoughts about yourself, find a mantra to say every day about the good things in you, and forget about being perfect - NO one is. Best wishes.

Answer 2

I don't have an eating disorder, but obviously stress and grossly high expectations for girl AND guys cause them. Some people are really upset with their weight and just diet and work out, an eating disorder (bulimia) to me has always seemed like an easy way out.. but still people with bulimia are obsessed with working out too. And obviously they're insecure about their weight, more so than they should be, and don't know when they're TOO thin because they have a distorted body image. I don't know if perfectionism would be a trait, but it would encourage an eating disorder (IE gymnasts and ballerinas).
The thing is that bulimia actually makes people look bloated and worse than they would if they just dieted and worked out. Anorexia is gross looking. Youth today should be encouraged more to exercise and eat right. It's only required in my school to have a half semester of PE.. that doesn't help anything. They're should also be some sort of after school programs for kids like maybe Tae Bo so they don't just go home and eat and sit on the couch.

Answer 3

As a teenager and even now once in a great while I purge. The feelings I had were disgust with myself for being so out of control to eat as much as I did at the time. For me it was a sense of control in my life that was so out of whack at the time. To this day, when I purge it is also that lack of control. My body just feels bad and purging helps me to feel better. I do it once or twice a year now especially around the holidays when I over do the food thing. Some people have eating disorders others have alcohol or drug addictions still others like to shop to make themselves feel better. There are a lot of outlets being utilized that maybe are ok in the publics eye or are done in private.

Answer 4

What causes it?
Bulimia is more than just a problem with food. Purging and other behaviors to prevent weight gain are ways for people with bulimia to feel more in control of their lives and ease stress and anxiety. While there is no single known cause of bulimia, many things may have a role in its development:

Biology. There are studies being done to look at many genes, hormones, and chemicals in the brain that may have an effect on the development of, and recovery from, bulimia.
Culture. Some cultures in the U.S. have an ideal of extreme thinness. Women may define themselves on how beautiful they are.
Personal feelings. Someone with bulimia may feel badly about herself, feel helpless, and hate the way she looks.
Stressful events or life changes. Things like starting a new school or job, being teased, or traumatic events like rape can lead to the onset of bulimia.
Families. The attitude of parents about appearance and diet affects their kids. Also, a person is more likely to develop bulimia if a mother or sister has it.

Answer 5

People with eating disorders are often very insecure about their weight. Often times they are perfectionests. Sometimes they believe they look worse than they really are, or they are fat when they're not. In that case it is completely psychological. Usually they believe they need to fit in. Some start doing such dengerous behaviors so that they can get attention. People want their friends or people that they like to care about them, and they feel good when people worry about them that wouldn't usually worry or care about them. It is kind of like confirming that somebody is your friend. Some people do it for both reasons, to be noticed, and to fit in. These people need psychological help.

Answer 6

Well, when I became anorexic it was because one day, I was about 14.. my ma was all like, "Youre getting real chubby." And I was just standing there eatint Cap'n Crunch and that really burned me inside. So I started working out a lot and got down to about 89 lbs. When I turned about 17, though.. I finally got the courage to gain the weight back and get healthy again.

I really suggest not gaining the weight back though because I gained a lot back... and now no one loves me.

Answer 7

Some people are more mentally unstable than others. Some people have friends and family to turn to, others do not, and still others have access to medical and mental health and others don't.
Some say eating disorders are connected to depression which can be genetic.

Answer 8

because some people don't want to gain weight because of what others might think, so they go too great lengths not to gain weight so they starve themselves, then they can;'t take the hunger and eat put then they throw it up so they dont gain weight from the food , they only eat too cure the hunger.

Answer 9

Not all people are strong enough to deal with that aspect they don't like about themselves. We all have things we want to change, some of us ignore, some pay to have things change, and others go to more extreme measures.

Answer 10

When my sister became anorexic she stopped eating for a while and when she did try to eat she would throw it up.