Eating Disorders - Risk Factors

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In keeping with the avoidant personality, one expert described her anorexic patients as having a total lack of self, well beyond having low self-esteem. In support of this, a 2002 study reported that women with eating disorders were less likely to attend to their own needs and to care for themselves. In other words, they felt "self-less" and experienced guilt if they felt they were promoting their own self-interest.

The process of not eating may become an act of passive revenge on those whose love is always out of reach: "See? I am slowly disappearing, and you will be very sad when I am gone."

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality. Obsessive-compulsive personality defines certain character traits (being a perfectionist, morally rigid, or preoccupied with rules and order). This personality disorder has been strongly associated with a higher risk for anorexia. These traits should not be confused with the anxiety disorder called obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), although they may increase the risk for this disorder.

Borderline Personalities. Studies indicate that almost 40% of people who are diagnosed with bulimic anorexia (losing weight by bingeing and purging) may have borderline personalities. People with borderline personalities have been described as causing chaos around them by using emotional weapons, such as temper tantrums, suicide threats, and hypochondriasis. Such people tend to:

Have unstable moods, thought patterns, behavior, and self-images

Be frantically fearful of being abandoned

Be unable to be alone

Have difficulty controlling their anger and impulses -- moreover, between one-quarter and one-third of people with bulimia have impulsive symptoms.

Be prone to idealize other people (frequently followed by rejection and disappointment)

Some research has suggested that the severity of this personality disorder predicts difficulty in treating bulimia, and it might be more important than the presence of psychological problems, such as depression.

Narcissism. Studies have also found that people with bulimia or anorexia are often highly narcissistic and tend to: