What causes eating disorders?

FALLBROOK – Eating disorders are serious conditions that can negatively affect an individual's overall health. These persistent eating behaviors affect emotions and various systems of the body by creating nutritional deficiencies that put individuals' overall health in serious jeopardy. The heart, digestive system, teeth, and bones all can be affected by eating disorders, and malnutrition may lead to other diseases.

The Mayo Clinic notes that common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Anorexia is characterized by not eating enough and excessive...