It is commonly thought that anorexia is most likely caused by the culture and the way we perceive beauty as equates a slender body. The fact is that this eating disorder has been known for centuries and today’s ideal of beauty - “thinner than ever” - has only contribute to the problem. Some people, especially women, are taking things to extreme, refusing to eat, starving themselves to the point where it becomes life-threatening, taking weight control pills even when they don’t need them, taking laxatives or diuretics and even vomiting in order to lose some weight. A reason for young girls to become anorexic is that they refuse to become mature thus not eating is the solution as their body becomes smaller and they stop menstruating.

         An anorexic individual has a low self-esteem (believes is fat, stupid, not good at anything etc) and no matter how good they do in different activities it is not good enough for their standards. They are in a constant need of approval. Their personal life may sometimes be the cause of anorexia. For example the death of a close friend or family relative, break-up of their relationship or parents divorce, failure at school, physical or sexual abuse. Atlets also can be affected by anorexia in an effort to keep a low body weight (for example in ballet, gymnastics or wrestling in men’s cases). There is also a predisposition to anorexia within the families, among females. It is said that a girl is up to 20 times more likely to develop anorexia if she has a sibling suffering from it.

The cause of anorexia is thought to be a combination of influences such as:

- Specific genetic factors as twin studies have shown that the disorder runs in families. In patients that have recovered from anorexia have been observed some additional abnormalities in 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin - found in the central nervous system, plays an important role in the inhibition of anger, agression, body temperature, vomiting and appetite), noradrenaline (a stress hormone that affects attention, heart rate, triggers the release of glucose, increases blood flow to skeletal muscle) and corticotropin-releasing hormone (involves stress response);

     - Neuroendocrine: hypothalamic abnormalities might be a primary cause of dysfunctional eating and neuroendocrine dysregulation in anorexia;

     - Some physiological features: gastric emptying is delayed in anorexic persons and they rate satiety higher whether gastric emptying is extended or not.

     - A multitude of psychological, sociological, and family influences might sway the setting up of anorexia nervosa. The disorder may be viewed, in some theories, as a failure to develop autonomy from the first caregivers. The female confirms her value by interpersonal relationships and as cultural changes have led women to independence the eating disorder could reflect an unrealistic accentuation on autonomy.

      As we live in a society where being overweight receives a negative feedback, sometimes disapproval and even being ridiculized, it is not hard to understand why some individuals utilizes excessive dieting to lose weight even to the point where it threats the health. The influence of media has an important role in this, books, magazines and the fashion industry promoting slimness as the key to professional succes and sexual perfection.