I want

Risk Factors for Developing Eating Disorders

Prof. Yael Letzer, The Faculty of Social Welfare and Health Sciences at the University of Haifa; the Eating Disorders Center at Rambam Health Care Campus.
10 September 2025

This article uses feminine language because most people affected by the disorder are girls. However, the information applies to boys, young people, men, and women of all ages.

Eating disorders are typically caused by a mix of factors, including genetics, behavior, emotions, relationships, culture, and society. Research indicates that gender identity can also affect risk, with women being more likely than men to develop eating disorders.

Read more about eating disorders: symptoms, consequences, and related conditions

Risk factors

There are several common factors that may affect the risk of developing an eating disorder:

  • Negative body image: Dissatisfaction with physical appearance and a distorted perception of one’s body.
  • Certain personality traits: Perfectionism, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression.
  • Traumatic life events in the past or during adolescence: Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, family pressures, the death of a loved one, or other major stressful events.

  • Sociocultural pressure: Culture that glorifies thinness and emphasizes it in the ideal of beauty, especially through social media, advertising, and the fashion industry.
  • Social pressure from family and friends: High expectations and social standards regarding appearance, including pressure to lose weight or to maintain a strict diet and linking thinness to success and achievement.

  • Genetic factors: Studies indicate a significant genetic link that increases the risk of developing eating disorders.
  • Neurobiological changes: Imbalance in neurotransmitter systems (active chemical substances in the nervous system), especially in systems related to the regulation of hunger, satiety and anxiety mechanisms.
  • Gut microbiome and autoimmune reactions: A link has been found between autoimmune reactions and the state of the microbiome and the development of eating disorders.
  • Family history of eating disorders: A link has been found between a family history of eating disorders, depression, anxiety and compulsiveness, and the development of eating disorders.

  • Competitiveness and certain professions: Fields such as competitive sports, classical ballet, and modeling, where it is required to maintain a specific appearance, body structure, and weight.
  • Influence of family environment: Families where there is an excessive preoccupation with food, diets, body shape, or weight.

A combination of these factors may increase the risk of developing eating disorders. Not everyone who has one or more of these factors will necessarily develop an eating disorder. The findings of the studies conducted to date indicate significant gaps in the understanding and ability of existing models to predict the development of eating disorders and guide their treatment. For this reason, it is of great importance to identify risk factors for prevention and to develop more effective prevention and treatment interventions.

Parental behavior to prevent eating disorders

Even if you, as parents, are concerned about your daughter developing an eating disorder or obesity, it is important to avoid critical responses to her increased eating. Statements such as "Stop, you've eaten enough", or "Don't eat that candy, you're exaggerating", which are accompanied by withholding food or strict behavior around it, often undermine the girl's self-confidence and, accordingly, harm your daughter's body image. This harm may lead to unwanted diets, obesity, and in some cases even the development of a full-blown eating disorder. So what can you do instead of passing on unnecessary criticism? Act! Be your daughter's role model. To help your daughter eat healthy food and adopt good eating habits, you can:

  • Prepare healthy and varied food: Prepare and serve meals that include all food groups, varied and delicious meals. It is also a good idea to involve the child in preparing the meal.
  • Eat meals together: Sit and eat with the child around a table, preferably at regular times.
  • Consider words: Be careful not to talk about dieting in front of the child and avoid engaging in content related to body shape and weight.
  • Maintain healthy communication: It is a good idea to encourage communication and open discourse at home, for example, talking about the effects of social networks and the role models that girls and teenage girls look up to. It is also important to talk about different body structures and explain that each one has her own genetic structure that will determine how she will look in the future.

More on the same subject