This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Aetiology

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

About 50% of patients with bulimia nervosa have had anorexia nervosa in the past.

Many of the factors that are thought to contribute to the aetiology of anorexia nervosa are likely to apply also to the aetiology of bulimia nervosa.

Predisposing factors (1,2):

  • individual/family:
    • female adolescence
    • low self-esteem
    • personal or family history of depression
    • personal or family history of obesity
    • high personal expectations
    • family history of eating disorders
    • parents older than average
    • disturbed family interactions
    • early menarche
  • social:
    • pressures to be slim
    • pressures to conform and to achieve

Precipitating factors are general stresses, especially those that threaten self-esteem.

Females with Type 1 diabetes may have an increased risk of bulimia nervosa

Reference:

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.