Author Question: What factors are known to increase the risk of an eating disorder? Which of these do you think is ... (Read 68 times)

lracut11 · **on:** Jul 12, 2018

What factors are known to increase the risk of an eating disorder? Which of these do you think is most applicable to all forms of disordered eating?

Question 2

Compare and contrast how men and women typically perceive and want to change their bodies. How accurate are these characterizations on your campus?

T4T · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 12, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Among the factors that increase the risk of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are genetic predisposition; preoccupation with a thin body; social pressure; perfectionism and excessive cautiousness, which can reflect an obsessive-compulsive personality; difficult life transitions, such as puberty and the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Distress about body image increases the risk of all forms of disordered eating.

Answer to Question 2

Men are as likely as women to engage in efforts to improve their bodies. But while women are most dissatisfied with their weight and their lower bodies, men want to be bigger and have more muscular upper bodies. According to recent studies, male college students overwhelmingly associate greater muscularity with feeling sexier, more confident, and more attractive to women. However, the quest for extremely low body fat and high levels of lean muscle mass can lead to a muscle dysmorphia, or reverse anorexia, that puts men at risk for depression, anxiety, and anabolic steroid abuse. In contrast, a specific type of stress called social physique anxiety occurs most often in women who feel they do not measure up to what they or others consider most desirable in terms of weight or appearance.