Why are women more prone to anorexia and bulimia?

The number of new cases of anorexia and bulimia that appear each year is alarming; even more alarming is that this increase does not stop growing. Also, 90% of people with bulimia or anorexia are women.

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But why does this happen? Why are women more prone to anorexia and bulimia? In this article we will try to answer this question, referring especially to social factors (for example, current beauty standards). We will talk about 5 explanatory factors.

Society, beauty fee and TCA

We live in an increasingly exposed society, where more and more bodies come to light. In addition, there is more freedom in many ways: people dress how they want, post the photos they want on the networks, etc.

This is a double-edged sword since, while we can enjoy our freedoms, and that there is a trend in rise of social networks (and exposing everything), we also pay more attention to the body of others (for its easy accessibility). This leads us to compare ourselves, to look more in the mirror, to suffer if we do not "adapt" to the prevailing canon of beauty (which rewards thinness), and so on.

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It is when eating disorders (ED) are born. Two of the most common, anorexia and bulimia, have a lot to do with: how we look at our body, how we are mentally (at a psychopathological level), with whom do we compare ourselves, why do we compare ourselves, etc. In addition, it is a reality that women suffer much more from anorexia and bulimia disorders than men (90% of cases are women).

Why are women more prone to these types of eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia? We are going to try to answer this, by explaining a series of factors (especially social).

Why are women more prone to anorexia and bulimia?

Women are more prone to eating disorders (EDs), especially anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Specifically, up to 90% of cases, both bulimia and anorexia, correspond to women. This means that 9 out of 10 people with eating disorders are women. In other words, just being a woman is a risk factor for an eating disorder..

But why does this happen? Is there an explanation for it? There is no single explanation, but there are several factors that could explain this fact. Let's get to know them:

1. Reigning beauty model

The first factor we refer to to explain why women are more likely to suffer from anorexia and bulimia is a social factor, and it has to do with the current beauty model. This model, prevailing in practically all societies and cultures, is a model that extols the aesthetic values ​​of thinness, transmitting the message that thinness is synonymous with beauty.

To make matters worse, this beauty model prevails in the female sector, but is practically non-existent in the male sector. Thus, women feel “pressured” by society (and the fashion sector, above all) to be thin and to take care of oneself, as if the fact of not being thin were a reason for shame or synonymous with ugliness.

In this way, the current beauty model, which praises excessive thinness, would be a key factor that would explain the origin and maintenance of eating disorders in women (especially of the anorexy).

The cases of anorexia and bulimia have increased alarmingly in recent years, accompanied by the appearance and enhancement of this canon of beauty that "rewards" thinness.

2. Social pressure regarding the image

On the other hand, in recent years, and more and more, the image becomes something very important. Social networks have also participated in this process, since we are continuously exposed to images of the others, and implicitly, to the comparisons, messages that "we must always be physically perfect", etc.

In other words, there is an invisible social "pressure" to make us look more and more like the current model of beauty. This model (and the pressure to adapt to it perfectly), logically, ends up being harmful to health, and has an important influence on the appearance of eating disorders.

Furthermore, women are “penalized” more, at a social level, for being overweight than men. Following this point of view, women are the ones who more - and better - "should" conform to this canon of beauty that makes an apology for thinness (increasingly excessive thinness).

3. Media

The media is another key factor that would explain why women are more likely to suffer from anorexia and bulimia. This is because the media continuously broadcast messages that defend the prevailing beauty model (which says that only slim bodies are pretty).

Thus, these messages are perpetuated, and that pattern is perpetuated. On the other hand, the information issued by the media is very easy for girls to access. young people, who are also still forming their personality, and can show many insecurities because of it.

4. Certain sports or professions

There are some sports and professions where eating disorders are even more common in the general population. These sports are: dance, rhythmic gymnastics, ballet, etc.

Professions are: drama (actresses), models, etc. In addition, girls tend to practice most of these sports and professions more frequently, probably because of a cultural and educational bias, more than by one's own biology or interests of each one (which, yes, also influence).

In this way, we talk about sports or professions that take into account the image, the body and / or the thinness. In other words, sports and professions that receive an extra load of pressure for being thin and for presenting a "flawless" image.

5. Macho culture

As we already anticipated, the macho culture in which we live immersed makes an apology for thinness, but only in women. Thus, while thin women (who conform to the beauty canon) are "rewarded" or praised, nothing happens with men who do not follow this beauty model.

If you look at it, advertising on how to lose weight, bikini operation, how to take care of yourself, how to stay online, how to apply makeup, etc., is almost always directed at women. They continually send us messages such as: "lose weight to be more beautiful" (implicitly or explicitly).

Thus, the sexism is at the base of all these facts, which little by little permeate society, especially in the younger girls who do not yet have a "defined" body or a completely personality developed.

Logically, if to this are added certain Personality traits (insecurity, improvement, obsessiveness, etc.), all of this can increase the probability of developing anorexia or bulimia.

5. Psychological traits

But not only social factors would be risk factors for suffering from eating disorders, but also psychological factors. Thus, some psychological traits can increase the probability of suffering from bulimia or anorexia, such as: show high self-demand, a need for control, cognitive rigidity and / or perfectionism obsessive

On many occasions, these traits are more prevalent in women than in men, which is also would help answer the question of Why are women more likely to suffer from anorexia and bulimia?

Bibliographic references

• Belloch, A., Sandón, B. and Ramos, F. (2010). Manual of Psychopathology. Volume I and II. Madrid: McGraw-Hill.

• Busts, O. (2011). The media and the construction of gender: risk factor for eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Right to communicate, 2: 60-79.

• Carrillo, V. and Del Moral, A. (2013). Influence of the factors that define the body aesthetic model on the well-being of young women affected or unaffected by anorexia and bulimia. Saúde e Sociedade.

• Salazar, Z. (2008). Adolescence and body image in the age of thinness. Reflections, San José, 87 (2): 67-80.