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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffFactors that increase your risk of bulimia may include:
- Being female. Girls and women are more likely to have bulimia than boys and men are.
- Age. Bulimia often begins in the late teens or early adulthood.
- Biology. People with first-degree relatives (siblings or parents) with an eating disorder may be more likely to develop an eating disorder, suggesting a possible genetic link. It's also possible that a deficiency in the brain chemical serotonin may play a role.
- Psychological and emotional issues. People with eating disorders may have psychological and emotional problems that contribute to the disorder. Examples include low self-esteem, perfectionism, impulsive behavior, anger management problems, depression, anxiety disorders or obsessive-compulsive disorder. In some cases, traumatic events may be a contributing factor.
- Societal pressure. Peer pressure and what people see in the media may fuel a desire to be thin, particularly among young women. People who are in the public eye, such as actors, dancers and models, are at higher risk of eating disorders.
- Performance pressure in sports. Eating disorders are particularly common among athletes, such as gymnasts, runners and wrestlers. Coaches and parents may unknowingly contribute to eating disorders by encouraging young athletes to lose weight, maintain a low weight and restrict eating for better performance.
References
- Eating disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-IV-TR. 4th ed. Arlington, Va.: American Psychiatric Association; 2000. http://www.psychiatryonline.com. Accessed Jan. 17, 2012.
- Longo DL, et al. Harrison's Online. 18th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2012. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=4.. Accessed Jan. 17, 2012.
- Forman SF. Eating disorders: Epidemiology, pathogenesis and clinical features. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Jan 26, 2012.
- Ebert MH, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Psychiatry. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/resourceTOC.aspx?resourceID=10. Accessed Jan. 17, 2012.
- Forman SF. Eating disorders: Treatment and outcome. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Jan. 26, 2012.
- Breuner CC. Complementary, holistic, and integrative medicine: Eating disorders. Pediatrics in Review. 2010;31:c75.
- Carei TR, et al. Randomized controlled clinical trial of yoga in the treatment of eating disorders. Journal of Adolescent Health. 2010;46:346.
- Binge eating disorder. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/binge.htm. Accessed Jan. 31, 2012.
- LeGrange D, et al. Calculation of expected body weight in adolescents with eating disorders. Pediatrics. 2012;129:1.
- Sim LA, et al. Identification and treatment of eating disorders in the primary care setting. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2010;85:746.
- Interpersonal psychotherapy for depressed adolescents (IPT-A). National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services (SAMHS). http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/ViewIntervention.aspx?id=198. Accessed Jan. 26, 2012.
- Loeb KL, et al. Transdiagnostic theory and application of family-based treatment for youth with eating disorders. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. 2012;1:17
- Hall-Flavin DK (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn. Feb. 22, 2012.
- Sim LA (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minn. Mar. 14, 2012.
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