Eating Disorders

The KiGGS survey (German Health Interview and Examination Survey for Children and Adolescents), conducted by the Robert Koch Institute from 2007, counts eating disorders among the most frequent, chronic health problems seen in children and adolescents and indicates that anorexia nervosa, or commonly anorexia, has the highest rate of lethality of all psychiatric disorders. Sicknesses and latent eating disorders are widely prevalent. The survey has found that more than 20 percent of children and adolescents between the ages of 11 and 17 exhibit symptoms of an eating disorder.

There are diverging views on the triggers of eating disorders and their importance; most today presume a combination of external factors and personal disposition. Without a doubt social factors play an important role and were already noted in the old turn away from “diseases of civilization,” as they were known. Body image, peer pressure, familial demand structures, low self-esteem and loss of naturalness in eating behavior are as much elements of social science work on the topic as the empirical ascertainment of distribution and influencing variables or the evaluation of therapeutic success.

This compilation presents current literature and research references organized by chapter: the first chapter assembles overviews and empirical studies; the second takes up forms of therapy and the medical approach in the narrower sense; chapter three presents studies of eating disorders in various social groups and the influence of variables such as age, gender and social status; the following takes a look at the familial structure and environment of the affected person; the fifth chapter focuses on the effects of body image, identity and social norms; the final section closes with work on eating behavior and eating disorder prevention as an important area of public health.

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