There is no simple answer to explain what causes bulimia. Like other eating disorders, such as anorexia and binge eating, bulimia can be caused by a number of different factors. Some common factors that may lead to bulimia are outlined below.

Low self-esteem

If you have an eating disorder, you may have a low opinion of yourself and see losing weight as a way of gaining self-worth.

Depression

You may use bingeing as a way of coping with unhappiness. People with bulimia often feel depressed, and so they binge regularly. Unfortunately, purging does not relieve this depression and the cycle continues.

Mental health problems

Bulimia is often linked with some other psychological problems. Research shows that bulimia is more common in people who have anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and personality disorders.

Cultural and social pressure

Some people believe that the media and fashion create pressure for people to aspire to low body weights.

Emotional stress

Bulimia can sometimes occur following stressful situations, or life events. For example, it is possible for you to develop the condition after dealing with a traumatic experience, such as a death or divorce. Or during the course of important, life-changing events, such as getting married, or leaving home.

Bulimia can also occur in people who have experienced physical illness, or sexual abuse. Some people with bulimia have experienced difficult childhoods, with family problems, arguments, and criticism.

Puberty

Sometimes, if teenagers feel that they have no say in their lives, bulimia can seem like the only way that they can take control.

Genetics

There may be a genetic factor related to developing bulimia. Research suggests that those who have a close relative who has, or has had bulimia, are four times more likely to develop it compared to those who do not have a relative who has had the condition.

The reasons for your bulimia may not be easy to explain. Although the condition is linked to a fear of getting fat, there are usually a more complex set of emotions and feelings that contribute to the problem. The act of bingeing and purging is often a way of dealing with these intense emotions.