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Corinne Appelberg
Deby Jizi
UWRT 1102-009
6 April 2016
Inquiry
In the past, I have personally experienced eating disorder tendencies, which was a facet
of my life that intrigued me to learn more about eating disorders and to take a closer look into the
specifics of Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. While I knew I wanted to discover more about these
eating disorders, I was driven to find out What are the contributing factors to Anorexia and
Bulimia Nervosa? I specifically selected this question and topic for my research because I have
recently become curious to find out the reasons to why I may have displayed eating disorder
tendencies in the past. I have also noticed eating disorders becoming more prominent among
girls my age, which was another reason why I was so interested in the topic and finding out why
it has become more popular among girls my age.
Unfortunately, many people suffer from these disorders and in result have a rough time
coping with the disorder. These disorders cause problems to ones everyday life, which affect the
health of the affected person along with other aspects of their life. I have learned that eating
disorders can be detrimental to health and can have negative effects on ones life after I
personally experienced this while suffering from symptoms of an eating disorder. I always felt a
sense of weakness with the lack of nourishment in my body, which resulted in me feeling tired
and depressed about life. It also affected some of my relationships, due to my family and friends
being frustrated with my habits out of concern for my health and well-being. I know that
Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa are disorders that can be potentially life threatening and require

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extensive treatment for recovery, which makes these disorders very dangerous to the individuals
that are affected by them. As I realize the severity of these disorders, I believed it was important
for me to dig deeper into the topic and discover the contributing factors that may lead to the
development of one of these disorders.
In the first source I found to support my question, I was surprised to find that these
disorders can be developed through biological or genetic, sociological, and psychological factors.
Biological or genetic factors may include: the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the individual, the
symptoms they exhibit from the eating disorder, the eating habits of the individual, and the
difference in the first chromosome (Mehta, Sabine, and Treasure, 468). Sociologically, family
and culture are the two biggest contributing factors to an eating disorders development, while
psychologically, the metal fixation on perfectionism and warped body image are contributing
factors as well (Murray, 277). The metal fixation on perfectionism and the desire to be thin has
been created due to the views on women in society. With the media and attention in the past few
decades becoming more and more fixated on appearances, women and girls have succumbed to
the idea of what is ideal when it comes to their bodies. Poor diet, extreme exercising, and
copious amounts of Photoshop have contributed to these warped ideals, making girls create
unrealistic expectations of their appearances. Women and celebrities who become idolized by
younger girls display eating behaviors and extreme makeup techniques to give them the
perfect appearance, when in reality the celebrities have teams of makeup professionals, diet
advisors, and workout coaches to assist them in getting these looks. The reason why women will
develop an eating disorder due to the desire of being thin for the fact they will be accepted in
society, does not surprise me at all. Now, women in society are seen as beautiful even when

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they are unhealthily thin, so women strive to become as thin as they can so they will be viewed
as beautiful.
In addition, eating disorders can be linked to increased levels anxiety, depression, and
stress. These realizations show to be true because according to a study I found, patients with the
most depression showed overall lower BMI and weight. The study not only showed these to be
true, but I greatly support these findings due to the fact that I personally suffer from generalized
anxiety, tend to become stressed very easily, and have suffered from diagnosed depression. While
depression can lead to low BMI and body weight, it can also result in affected sleep patterns. In a
study, statistics reveal that 56% of individuals that were studied showed signs of major
depression disorder, while another study also revealed that major depression was evident in
patients whose depression lasted for over 21 months (Levy, Alan B, and Dixon, 391). While I
was depressed during this period in my life due to personal reasons, it led me to reduce my food
intake because the sadness I felt made it difficult for me to hold down food. These statistics hold
true the personal observations I made about myself, and the symptoms I began to exhibit when I
was struggling with my depression and eating disorders. According to a study in Levy and
Dixons 1985 article, due to depression and anxiety, those suffering from Anorexia/Bulimia can
experience insomnia, lack of sex drive, and inability to concentrate, which could ultimately come
from depression.
Another source that gave me valuable information to my research of the factors that
contribute to Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa discussed the background of a woman who was 25
years old and exhibited symptoms of anorexia nervosa. This study stood out to me as significant
because it not only personalized the symptoms and changes someone can encounter in their life,
but made the symptoms more relatable as well. The woman was refusing to eat often, a sign that

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I exhibited too. She would often prepare large meals, but would sit and just watch while family
or others eat. This indicated to me that she still had a relationship with food, and preparing it for
others, but her disorder caused an internal conflict that I feel many patients or unrecognized
individuals with these disorders or symptoms could relate to. Another sign that this woman
exhibited that is common among anorexia patients is loss of hair and low energy levels. I recall
that after the period of my poor eating habits and depression, my hair became much thinner, or
fall out more often in the shower. The lack of nutrients my hair needed was not being supplied
from a healthy diet. I also experienced the weakness and low energy levels from not ingesting
enough daily calories. These signs can be seen early on, and can indicate the need to increase
your vitamin and nutrient intake through a healthier eating routine. Overall, that study conducted
on the woman allowed me to find a closer and more personal connection to the signs and
symptoms rather than just a textbook definition or scientific results (Gowda, Maheshr, Durgoji,
Srinivasa, Chandrashekar, and Harish).
Depending on the person, the contributing factors that result in the development of
Anorexia or Bulimia will vary. I found that these disorders can be developed through biological
or genetic, sociological, and psychological factors. Family is a contributing sociological factor
for the reason that the raising of an individual can lead to the development of an eating disorder
due to malnutrition at a young age, having more siblings, or having someone in your family that
has suffered or is suffering from an eating disorder can contribute to the development (Mehta,
Sabine, and Treasure, 468).
In all, I discovered that the factors that lead to the development of Anorexia and Bulimia
Nervosa have been evident in both my personal life and can also be observed in many other girls
my age. The development of Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa show that women are much more

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likely to develop these symptoms, and the pressures of society and media have contributed to the
increase in the symptoms appearing in young girls and women in their early 20s. I also learned
that family life and culture contribute greatly to eating disorders, and that an individuals home
life may cause these symptoms to develop more than in those with normal or healthy eating
lifestyles. In conclusion there are many factors that can lead to the development of both or either
of these disorders.
I made many new discoveries about Anorexia and Bulimia that allowed me to reflect on
my own history and the possible factors that may have been contributing to my tendencies. I
hope that my findings give the reader a better understanding of the complexity of the disorders.
But, I still wonder what the main contributing factors were that drove me to have Anorexic
tendencies. I also remain curious to what treatments are best for each contributing factor. If I
were to continue, I may want to dig deeper into different types of treatments and their results.

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Works Cited
Gowda, Maheshr, Sumit Durgoji, Preeti Srinivasa, M. Chandrashekar, and Nikitha Harish. "Case
Report on Anorexia Nervosa." Indian J Psychol Med Indian Journal of Psychological
Medicine 37.2 (2015): 236. Web.
Levy, Alan B, and Katharine N. Dixon. "The Relationship between Anorexia Nervosa and
Depression: a Reevaluation." International Journal of Eating Disorders. 4.4 (1985): 389405. Print.
Murray, Trish. "Wait Not, Want Not: Factors Contributing to the Development of Anorexia
Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa." The Family Journal: Counseling and Therapy for
Couples and Families. 11.3 (2003): 276-280. Print.
Woerwag-Mehta, Sabine, and Janet Treasure. "Causes of Anorexia Nervosa." Psychiatry. 7.4 (
2008): 147-151. Print.