Eating disorders are a complex and multifaceted problem that is even today far from being resolved. Thus, it is incredibly important to understand what can act as a cause for their occurrence in order to design effective and relevant interventions. The article by Keel and Forney (2013) discusses specifically what role psychosocial factors play in the development of an eating disorder. Patients with eating disorders usually have a range of body beliefs that have been shaped by their environment. In addition to these beliefs, they also have a certain emotionally colored attitude towards their body. Idealization of thinness and subsequent issues with body image and weight are emphasized by Keel and Forney in the findings of their study, stating that epidemiological, cross-cultural, and longitudinal data support that conclusion.
The psychosocial approach to determining the causes of eating disorders proved to be effective in various studies. Discovering patients’ rules of life related to the body and thinness, as well as the examination of patient history and events associated with weight changes, often helps to detect underlying issues. Understanding a specific patient’s predispositions and how their disorder progressed throughout the years and concrete events can establish a more comprehensive context for the case. Moreover, determining the psychosocial causes of an eating disorder and tracing correlations in them among different patients can help design more targeted and tailored interventions for the future.
It is still rather arguable that just the socio-cultural environment itself, which provokes bodily anxiety, causes the development of eating disorders. However, Keel and Forney (2013) emphasize that it is precisely the environment that makes the reassessment of weight and body shape – the key psychopathology of eating disorders – possible. In addition, it creates the prerequisites for the use of restrictive eating styles, which can trigger the development of eating disorders.
Thus, such disorders occur in individuals predisposed to them if they are exposed to a number of adverse factors. For example, sensitive temperament is an important aspect predisposing to the development of eating disorders. People with this type of temperament tend to take criticism more sharply than the rest of the population. Thus, the comments of other people about the appearance and shape of the body often become exactly the critical event that triggers the development of eating disorders.
People whose weight and body shape do not meet the socially accepted standard are often perceived as lazy, lacking willpower, and weak. In addition, they themselves often tend to experience an intense sense of shame in connection with the inadequacy of the generally accepted ideal. Being able to recognize these negative feelings and counter them with self-compassion might reduce the severity of stress and, thus, help people avoid developing an eating disorder. The healthcare sector should facilitate awareness of the specifics of approaches to treating and preventing eating disorders as part of both professional and public interventions.
References
Boyd, C. J., McCabe, S. E., Cranford, J. A., & Young, A. (2006). Adolescents’ motivations to abuse prescription medications. Pediatrics, 118(6), 2472–2480. Web.
Keel, P. K., & Forney, K. J. (2013). Psychosocial risk factors for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 46(5), 433–439. Web.