As Fall approaches and students prepare to return to school, many students and their families express concerns about how transitioning into the new school year might impact eating disorder symptoms. While changes in one’s environment and the anxiety associated with them can significantly influence behaviors around food, understanding the root causes of these behaviors is crucial. By recognizing potential triggers, students, families, and educators can take proactive steps to mitigate these risks. Here are six common causes of eating disorders in students and strategies to address them.
1. Stress, Pressure & Eating Disorders
What Causes It?
Students often face a surge of responsibilities and pressures, including academic demands, social expectations, peer conflicts, and for college students, adjusting to living away from home. According to the American College Health Association, over 77 percent of college students report experiencing moderate to high levels of stress related to academics and student life balance. For some, disordered eating can seem like a way to regain control, even if it’s maladaptive and temporary.
What Can Be Done?
Students should be aware of when school-related stress shifts from being a motivating factor to an overwhelming burden. Practicing mindfulness can help students become more aware of their thoughts and feelings, enabling them to use effective coping skills when needed. It’s also important for students to develop a support system both at home and school and to maintain a balance between academics and enjoyable activities.
Families can play a key role by encouraging open communication and providing emotional support. Discussing self-care and stress management strategies before the school year begins can help students better navigate these pressures.
2. Body Image Concerns & Eating Disorders
What Causes It?
Body image concerns in children, adolescents, and young adults arise from various factors, including media portrayals, societal standards, peer influences, and even family dynamics. Social media, in particular, has a significant impact on body image and relationships with food. A study published in the Journal of Eating Disorders found that exposure to idealized images on platforms like Instagram is linked to body dissatisfaction, which can lead to disordered eating.
What Can Be Done?
Students should limit exposure to negative media influences, including social media, and follow accounts that promote body positivity. Adopting a “body neutral” perspective—focusing on the body’s functions rather than its appearance—can be beneficial.
Families can foster a positive body image by modeling body acceptance and avoiding negative comments about weight or appearance. Encouraging activities that build self-esteem and promote enjoyment can also help.
3. Perfectionism & Eating Disorders
What Causes It?
Perfectionism is characterized by setting excessively high standards for oneself and critically evaluating one’s performance. While it can drive achievement, it can also lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and dissatisfaction. Many students strive for perfection in academics, appearance, and social life, which can contribute to disordered eating as a way to maintain control or achieve an idealized image.
What Can Be Done?
Students should learn to set realistic goals and embrace imperfections. Practicing self-compassion and recognizing that no one is perfect can alleviate the pressure to be flawless. Counseling can also be beneficial in managing perfectionist tendencies.
Families can encourage a growth mindset, where effort and learning are valued over perfection. Reminding students that mistakes are a natural part of growth can help them see challenges as opportunities rather than failures.
4. Peer Influence & Eating Disorders
What Causes It?
School and college campuses are social hubs where peer behaviors and attitudes can strongly influence individual choices. If a student is surrounded by peers who engage in dieting, excessive exercise, or negative body talk, they may feel pressured to conform to these behaviors.
What Can Be Done?
Students should seek out friends who support healthy, realistic habits around food and body image, and avoid groups that engage in harmful behaviors. Regularly checking in on one’s own behaviors and identifying any negative influences from peers is crucial.
Families should discuss the importance of positive influences and maintaining individuality in choices. Encouraging students to choose friends who uplift and support healthy habits can make a significant difference.
5. Mental Health & Eating Disorders
What Causes It?
Mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and ADHD can increase the risk of developing eating disorders. School can be emotionally challenging, and without proper support, students may turn to food as a coping mechanism. The National Eating Disorders Association notes that eating disorders often co-occur with other mental health issues, making early intervention essential.
What Can Be Done?
Students should regularly check in with their emotions and seek support from trusted adults if feelings become overwhelming.
Families can proactively discuss mental health with their students and facilitate regular conversations about emotional well-being. Helping students develop their own support system and ensuring they know where to find help on campus can provide a safety net during difficult times.
6. Family Dynamics
What Causes It?
Our initial attitudes and behaviors related to food, weight, and body image are often learned at home. If a student grows up in an environment where there is a focus on dieting, weight control, or body criticism, they may be more prone to developing disordered eating patterns.
What Can Be Done?
Students can reflect on any unhelpful attitudes toward food or body image that they may have internalized from their family and work on replacing them with more positive messages. Therapy can be a powerful tool for learning healthier perspectives.
Families can create a home environment that promotes balanced and realistic messages about eating, body image, and self-acceptance. Being mindful of how food and weight are discussed and avoiding placing too much emphasis on appearance are crucial steps in preventing the development of disordered eating.
Need Support for your Transitional-Aged High School Student or College Student?
Eating disorders are complex and multifaceted, but by understanding the factors that contribute to their development in adolescents and young adults, we can take steps toward preventing them.
If you or someone you love is struggling with disordered eating behaviors or body shame, The Mindfulness Space is here to help!
Stefanie Lawson is a licensed therapist with nearly a decade of clinical experience, and is the owner of The Mindfulness Space therapy in Greensboro, North Carolina. She specializes in treating underlying depression, anxiety, stress, unresolved trauma, and other mental health concerns that often lead to eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction, including Body Dysmorphic Disorder, in adults and transitional-aged teens.
The Mindfulness Space is an in-network provider with many insurance plans, including Cigna, Aetna, United Healthcare, United Behavioral Health, and Optum. Contact us today to learn more and schedule your free 30-minute consultation with us today!
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