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Recommended: Psychological aspects of anorexia nervosa

As humans we are controlled by our thoughts. In today’s society those thoughts can adversely affect some people. Those people are prone to developing severe issues such as eating disorders. What are the major reasons why people develop eating disorders like anorexia? Twenty-two year old Marya Hornbacher struggled with anorexia from her early childhood to her twenties. In her novel Wasted she refers to her ten-year old self as “never normal about food, even as a baby…I suspected that I may not even have been normal about food in utero, my mother’s eating habits verge on the bizarre.” (Hornbacher 12) Her statement referring to her mother brings up the question if her anorexia was a genetic trait inherited from her mother. With the extensive research and technology done today, scientists have discovered that the “brains of anorexics have malfunctioning in the insula, a key area that controls eating, anxiety, and body image.” (Anorexia May Be 1) “The discovery of differences in the insula begin to explain why anorexics behave the way they do…It is only [in those] who have this biological defect.” (Anorexia May Be 2) The research from the provided article explains one possibility of many that can contribute to the development of anorexia from biological traits. Another major contributor to the development of anorexia is the personality traits of the person this disease corrupts. The majority of young women with anorexia share similar behavior traits including low self esteem, dependency, and problems with self direction. (Anorexia Nervosa 2) Marya once says, “I have never been normal about my body. It has always seemed to me a strange and foreign entity. I don’t know that there was ever a time when I was not conscious of it…I was [alw... ... middle of paper ... ...ng that the influences of people, as well as the control wanted in every situation, is yet another core cause of eating disorders. Girls with anorexia are extremely sensitive to failure along with criticism, no matter how slight it may be, can lead them to believe they are “no good” (Anorexia Nervosa 2.) The influence of others and themselves is another causing factor of anorexia. Numerous causes of the development of anorexia and other eating disorders are genetic traits, as well as personality types. Along with the control attributes and influence girls have put onto themselves and each other. “Some people obsessed with food become gourmet chefs, others develop eating disorders” (Hornbacher 12) The conscious thoughts of the human mind are capable of destroying girls if located into one with more capable and compatible genetic, personal, and influential mind sets.

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