We are constantly barraged with messages that a perfect body will produce a perfect life, and that a perfect body is obtainable for everyone if they just do the right things, eat the right things, or exercise enough. We also live in a society that can be unsafe, especially for women, and sexual trauma is sometimes correlated with the development of an eating disorder. Family and individual factors also affect the development of eating disorders. The adjustment from high school to college can be overwhelming, because students are expected to perform at a higher academic level, cope with new social surroundings, and live independently. Unresolved family problems may be aggravated by leaving home.
Academic work creates stress, and stress can make an eating disorder worse.
Bio-genetic factors also can play a role. Evidence suggest that, for some individuals, binging and purging are symptoms of a physical condition that has to do in part with neurotransmitters in the brain. Eating disorders can also be related to depression, which can be biochemically based. Anorexia is when someone loses a significant amount of weight, but continues to diet even though they are thin or normal weight. People with anorexia feel fat, even after losing weight, and they have an over-riding obsession and fear about gaining any weight.