Personality of adolescents predisposed to developing eating disorders

Eating disorders are brought on by a complex interplay of factors, which may include personality, family pressures, a possible genetic or biological susceptibility and a culture in which there is an over abundance of food and an obsession with thinness (Garfinkel & Garner, 1982). Thus this study considered personality factors as measured by the High School Personality Questionnaire (HSPQ) as a predisposing factor to the development of eating disorders as measured by the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI), respectively. As an adjunct the psychological factors of body-image dysfunction and self-esteem, the biological factor of age, and the socio-cultural factors of race, socio-economic class and religious affiliation were considered as predisposing factors to the development of eating disorders.