Sociocultural Aspects of Eating Disorders

The occurrence of eating disorders varies significantly between different sociocultural groups and over time in a changing cultural environment. There are differences between various ethnic groups as well as differences between different cultures and between social subgroups in the otherwise same cultural-spatial environment, clearly independent of purely genetic influences. The most important aspect of these cultural factors seems to be the Western-influenced societal pressure to be thin, which is mainly conveyed by the media and the social environment (peers and family). Sociocultural factors are thus to be assigned to the risk factors for the development of eating disorders and are in competition and interaction with other factors (see Chap. #). However, the importance of the various sociocultural characteristics is differently pronounced for the different diagnoses.