The Psychology of Eating: From Healthy to Disordered Behavior

Eating Disorders 233

borderline personality disorder (D.B. Herzog et al., 1992), conduct disorder,
and stealing (Rowston and Lacey, 1992). It has also been suggested that
bulimia is related to poor impulse control and multi-impulsivity, which
may explain some of the behaviors associated with this condition (Braun,
Sunday, and Halmi, 1994).
In summary, bulimia is more common than anorexia and is less likely
to cause death. It is, however, associated with a wide range of physical and
psychological complications, some of which may precede the eating disorder,
others of which may co-occur or follow after a diagnosis has been made.
The next main question to be asked concerns the causes of both anorexia
and bulimia. The causes of these two conditions are dealt with together,
as most theories of causality do not distinguish between the two.

Causes of Eating Disorders

Since the increased interest in both anorexia and bulimia, theories of their
causation have proliferated. This chapter provides an overview of the theor-
ies which currently have most academic credibility, and focuses on both
physiological and psychological aspects of causation, illustrated in figure 10.5.
It explores the problems with the different models, with an emphasis on
the extent to which they explain the epidemiology of eating disorders.
Although these theories are presented individually, it is generally now
recognized that a multidimensional approach to understanding the causes

significant

events

socioculturalmodel genetic model

Eating

disorders

cognitive

behavioral

model

psychoanalytic

model

family systems

approach

Figure 10.5 The causes of eating disorders.