4. Abuse
People who have been abused are very likely to develop an eating disorder of some sort. There are many different types of abuse and many people suffer abuse all their lives. They may be abused as children and even later be involved in adult relationships where the abuse continues. The longer the abuse goes on, the more at risk a person is for developing an eating disorder. Even those who were abused as young children may develop eating disorders later in life.
Eating disorders are linked to abuse because the abused person looks for a way to deal with the abuse and have some control in their life. They don’t realize that their eating disorder is a form of abuse itself and instead see it as a way to gain some control over their bodies. Many people recover from eating disorders once the abuse stops. Others require therapy that can help them deal with both problems.