Psychological explanations for anorexia

1. How do experiential factors affect an individual's development of anorexia nervosa?

Trauma, abuse and teasing about one's appearance or body shape are linked to anorexia nervosa
Mood disorders are often present at the same time as eating disorders
Any type of abuse in the home can lead to the development of anorexia nervosa as individuals use it as a mechanism for control
A cognitive distortion concerning body weight and shape form within an individual

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Families may help to perpetuate eating disorders by praising a person's slenderness and self-control, thereby reinforcing their behaviour
The individual with anorexia nervosa is viewed as a symptom of dysfunctional family relationships and structures
The development of anorexia nervosa in a young person helps to deflect attention away from their problems and difficulties located in the family structure as a whole"
That people with anorexia do not require family approval in order to starve themsleves

"The more than thinness is prized by different social groups, the higher the prevalence of eating disorders within them."
"The development of anorexia nervosa is often dependent on the social views that the people around them have of the ideal body type"
"Eating disorders usually form in individualist cultures, where the pre-occupation with body image is more intense in the individuals themselves"
"Even in cultures where great emphasis is placed on being slim, considerable variation exists in the extent to which people internalize their culture's valuation of thinness"

That evidence for this theory is largely based on the observations of clinician who support it
It's an un-falsifiable theory
There's a strong cultural bias for this theory
This theory does not account for the possibility of individual differences

Individualism, Lack of Empathy, Rigidity, Conflict Avoidance
Over-Protection, Lack of Empathy, Over-Involvement in academia, Introversion
Enmeshment, Over-Protection, Rigidity, Conflict Avoidance
Emneshment, Introversion, Individualism, Verbal Abuse (IE about one's appearance)