Social Causes Of Binge Eating
And Other Eating Disorders 

Understanding the wider cultural context of eating distress.

Understanding the causes of binge eating and other eating disorders has to take into consideration the wider influences of our society, culture and the environment we find ourselves in.

This is especially important in helping sufferers to recognise that their own beliefs and attitudes to their body shape and identity are shaped by the values of our wider society.

And these values increasingly consist of unattainable ideals.

• Social and Cultural Pressures: In our developed Western society, the idealised image of a woman is both young and slim - and usually un-naturally slim.
  
  This image is constantly promoted all around us in our media, advertising, and in the fashion industry. So much so, that it is almost impossible to avoid the constant barrage of images which suggest to us that for a woman to be happy, fulfilled, successful or in any other way acceptable, she has to be slim.
  
  Such influences greatly contribute to the causes of eating disorders.

  picture by Jauhari

An incredible pressure is placed upon women to change their body shape to fit this imposed ideal. Similar pressures on men do exist but certainly not to the same extent. To meet these ideals women will try diet after diet as well as cosmetic surgery and other methods, whereas men traditionally turn to the gym or sports to meet the more 'macho' image promoted for the male.

• 'Obesogenic Culture': Our current culture contributes to the causes of binge eating in another way. Despite the constant pressures to be slim, it is incredibly easy to be the exact opposite!

  We live in a world where food is more readily available than at any time in our evolution - it is everywhere; in our fridges and freezers, in our supermarkets and grocers, our corner shops, our fast food outlets, cafés and restaurants and now even over the internet. And a lot of this food is very 'energy-dense'; that is, high in fats or sugars, as well as other less than healthy ingredients such as high salt levels.

Food is advertised on posters and hoardings, in magazines and on the television. The fast food outlets often advertise special offers that for a less than wealthy family can be hard to resist. And all of this is occurring just as our lifestyles are becoming more and more sedentary - our jobs (if we are lucky enough to have one) are often spent sitting in front of a computer screen; our leisure time is spent in similar fashion - in front of the television, play station or on the internet; we drive to the shops; we have vacuum cleaners and washing machines to make our chores easier……..and so it goes on.

Therefore - under the constant pressure to be un-naturally slim, while living in an environment of rich food and low levels of physical activity - it is not surprising that the causes of binge eating and other eating disorders seem to be on the increase (then add to this all the confusing messages we receive about what is and what isn't healthy, how to lose weight, this fad diet and that fad diet, this slimming pill and that cosmetic surgery…..) - as Frederike Jacob sums it up so well in her book 'Solution Focused Recovery from Eating Distress':

"Confusion abounds, and eating disorders erupt".

• Family influences / Learned Behaviour: Research was conducted in the early 1990's into the influence of family life upon the development and causes of binge eating and other eating disorders. It showed that there was a higher incidence in offspring of parents who already had an eating disorder, and also in children of parents who put undue pressure upon their children to be slim, or constantly made comments about the childs appearance.

• Social Isolation & Loneliness: This can be connected to low self esteem and depression. But also, if someone is experiencing difficulties and is socially isolated in some way, then they are less likely to be able to access suitable sources of help and support.

• Events & Circumstances: Events that happen around us, and the circumstances we find ourselves in, can have a huge impact.
  
  These occurrences can affect us psychologically and so have the possibility of being causes of eating disorders by being contributory factors, especially if someone is already pre-disposed to binging or other eating distress. Such events might be bullying, parental or marital break-up, domestic violence, chronic illness or the death of someone close.

• Relationship Difficulties: Some of my clients with eating problems have described how relationship difficulties can be contributory causes of binge eating. For instance, with one sufferer, her partner was extremely controlling and insisted on cooking all the food. He made her eat meals that were designed to keep her overweight - fried breakfasts, large meals, and lots of snacks in the evenings, that sort of thing. Another client was suffering psychological abuse with her partner frequently shouting obscenities at her, belittling and bullying her - and yet, in what might be called a classic 'co-dependant' relationship, she felt unable to leave him - when he did occasionally leave to spend weekends with his ex partner she would go on a huge binging episode to the point of being in pain after eating so much, and all she wanted was him home again - to her, the abuse she was receiving was better than the void of loneliness she felt when on her own.

These are just some of the possible social causes of eating disorders.
See our other pages for more contributing factors:Psychological, and Physical causes of binge eating and other eating disorders.