Causes and risk factors for eating disorders

People often ask, "Why did this happen?" Eating disorders do not have one cause. Researchers think they grow from a mix of body, mind and surroundings, and the mix is different for each person.^1,2

This page explains the main risk factors. A risk factor raises the chance of an eating disorder. It does not mean a person will get one. Many people with these risks never do, and some people with few risks do. If you are looking for someone to blame, the answer is almost always that no one is to blame.

Genes and family

Eating disorders tend to run in families. Having a close relative with an eating disorder, or with another mental health condition such as anxiety, depression or addiction, raises the chance.³

Twin studies help show how much genes matter. A large study of anorexia nervosa looked at the DNA of nearly 17,000 people with the illness. It found several genetic differences linked to it. Twin studies estimate that about half of the risk for anorexia comes from genes.⁴ Bulimia nervosa also runs in families, and genes appear to play a part there too.⁵

Genes are not destiny. They load the dice a little. They do not decide the outcome. The study above also found links to the way the body handles blood sugar and fats, so researchers now think of anorexia as both a mental health and a body-chemistry condition.⁴ Learn more about the types of eating disorders.

Temperament and personality

Temperament is the way you tend to react to the world, starting early in life. Some traits are linked to higher risk:³

• Perfectionism. Setting very high standards for yourself, and feeling you never measure up. NEDA lists self-focused perfectionism as one of the strongest risk factors.
• Trouble with strong feelings. Having a hard time calming down when upset.
• Impulsivity. Acting fast without thinking it through.
• Rigid thinking. Finding it hard to switch plans or see another way.
• A low view of your body. Feeling unhappy with your body shape.

None of these traits is a flaw. Many are strengths in other settings, such as being careful, driven or sensitive. They only raise risk when other pressures pile on.

Dieting and weight pressure

A history of dieting is linked to a higher risk of binge eating.³ For some people, a diet that starts as "healthy" turns into a hard-to-stop pattern. If you need to change how you eat for a medical reason, talk with your doctor first, and ask for help that does not feed a heavy focus on weight.

Weight stigma and teasing

Weight stigma means negative treatment or beliefs about people because of their body size. Being teased or bullied about weight can hurt more than feelings. It is linked to eating disorders.³

A study of more than 1,500 young people in the United States found that weight teasing was strongly linked to disordered eating. Teasing in the teen years was tied to more dieting and overeating eight years later. The link looked similar across racial, ethnic and income groups.⁶

Teasing can come from classmates, but also from family, coaches and doctors who mean well. Comments about bodies, food and "good" or "bad" eating can sink in. Taking in a narrow beauty ideal, as if it were your own rule, is another risk.³ Caring adults can help by talking about health, energy and feeling strong rather than shape or size. See helping someone with an eating disorder for ideas.

Trauma and hard life events

Trauma, such as abuse, can raise the risk of an eating disorder.³ If you have lived through trauma, see our pages on PTSD and trauma and what helps after trauma.

Sports, dance and jobs with weight pressure

Athletes can face higher risk. Competition, a focus on body shape or weight, and a belief that a lower weight means better performance can all add up.⁷ Sports that stress leanness, appearance or weight limits are often named, such as gymnastics, diving, wrestling, running and dance.⁷ Coaches matter. Weigh-ins and pressure to change weight raise risk, while a coach who treats the athlete as a whole person can protect.⁷

Athletes can also fall into low energy availability. This means the body is not getting enough fuel for all it does. It can harm health in men and in women, even when the person does not have an eating disorder, and it is linked to mental health problems.⁸ Athletes who worry about food, weight or energy should tell a doctor.

Other health conditions

Eating disorders often occur with other conditions. Depression, anxiety and substance use problems are among the most common. These can make an eating disorder worse, so treatment should cover them too.¹

• Anxiety and OCD. In one study of 177 people with anorexia nervosa, those who had major depression, generalized anxiety or social anxiety at some point had the most severe illness. Those who also had obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) had more intense eating symptoms and a poorer quality of life.¹⁰ See our pages on anxiety and OCD.
• Depression. Depression is one of the conditions seen most often alongside an eating disorder.¹ Read about depression.
• Type 1 diabetes. Managing diabetes means paying close attention to food, numbers and weight. Hearing "good" or "bad" about blood sugar can start to feel like a judgment of the person. Some people with type 1 diabetes start to misuse their diabetes care to control weight, which can become life-threatening quickly.⁹ If you or your teen has type 1 diabetes and food or weight worries, tell the diabetes care team early.

A word about later life

Eating disorders can affect people at any age, including later in life.² See eating disorders in midlife and later life for how this looks and how to tell it apart from other causes of poor appetite.

Common questions

When to get help

Risk factors are a reason to stay watchful, not to panic. Early help makes a difference.

• Talk to a doctor soon if worries about food, weight or shape are taking up a lot of your thinking, or if someone you love seems to be changing. Our page on signs of an eating disorder lists what to look for.
• Call the National Alliance for Eating Disorders helpline at 1-866-662-1235. It is free. As of October 2026, it lists weekday hours, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time. Licensed therapists who specialize in eating disorders answer.¹¹
• Call or text 988 any time you or someone you love has thoughts of suicide. It is free and open 24 hours a day.
• Call 911 for fainting, chest pain, trouble breathing, confusion, a seizure, or any immediate danger. See health effects and medical risks.

Treatment works, and recovery is possible at any age. Read about treatment for eating disorders, or go back to the eating disorders overview.

Education only. This page is general information written from the sources listed. It is not medical, legal or financial advice and does not replace a doctor, therapist or lawyer who knows your situation. How we write and check pages.