Eating disorders develop for a variety of reasons. Troubled family and personal relationships, feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety, focus on being thin, and being unprepared for leaving home and entering college are all factors that may trigger an eating disorder. Any of these factors can lead to a lack of self-esteem, a need to be perfect, a desire to control people and events, and a belief that being thin will make everything all right. Of course this is not the case. An eating disorder will actually make things much worse.
Society places a great deal of pressure on people.
For example, it is expected that the next generation will accomplish more that the one before. Society also pressures individuals through advertising. Women are expected to look model-thin and men should be muscular with broad shoulders and a narrow waist. These images lead many to strive for something that may be unrealistic. One of the best ways to lower the occurrence of eating disorders is prevention.