Anorexia, Bulimia, and the Drive for Perfection
The Link Between Eating Disorders and Perfectionism
Nov 2, 2009
There is an undeniable connection between the eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and the personality trait perfectionism. Eating disorders and perfectionism share many overlapping characteristics, including an insatiable striving towards unattainable goals. Anorexics’ and bulimics’ voracious drive for perfectionism results in a disregard of the detrimental consequences of the eating disorder on their health, well-being, and happiness. Perfectionists are more predisposed to developing an eating disorder than the general population.
Defining the Eating Disorders Anorexia and Bulimia
The eating disorders anorexia and bulimia are both marked by an individual’s preoccupation with food and with one’s weight and body image. Anorexics severely restrict their food intake. They have a distorted body image, many of them considering themselves to be overweight despite being emaciated, as well as an extreme fear of putting on weight and being fat. Bulimics use cycles of binging and purging food, and sometimes abuse of laxatives, to control their weight.
Defining Perfectionism
Perfectionism is a personality characteristic that is marked by a goal-oriented point of view that is centered around exceedingly high, often unattainable, standards. Perfectionists are highly critical and excessively driven individuals who are obsessed with the fear of making mistakes. When they do make a mistake, they take the error very personally, often feeling defeated and like their self-worth has been compromised. Perfectionists seek the approval of others, yet when they get it, the approval is never satisfying. They perpetually work to achieve more to please others and thereby win acceptance and love.
The Role of Perfectionism in Anorexia and Bulimia
Perfectionists are at increased risk of developing the eating disorders anorexia or bulimia. Anorexics’ and bulimics’ exceedingly high expectations for themselves and their drive for perfection fuel their eating disorder since they can never seem to achieve the desired look or weight they are striving for. In their minds, they always fall short. They always feel “less than” and far from perfect.
The lie that anorexics and bulimics believe is that if they stay committed to a strict regimen of ritualized control over food and their bodies, they will attain their beauty goals and achieve happiness. Each time they suffer a perceived failure, they recommit to this goal, becoming more entrenched in their perfectionism. This relentless cycle of striving for perfection via increased control becomes the defining drama of an anorexic’s and bulimic’s life; it becomes his or her identity.
Societal Pressure to Be Perfect
Anorexics and bulimics exaggerate and internalize the messages from society and culture about competition and the value of achievement. The bombardment of airbrushed and manipulated images of bodily perfection in magazines and on television affect some individuals adversely as they try to live up to these perfectionist standards. Frequently, the recognition and attention a person receives as he or she begins to lose weight intensifies his or her desire to attain unrealistic standards of thinness and beauty.
Highly controversial pro-ana and pro-mia websites have cropped up to support people in what is termed a “lifestyle choice.” Pro-ana sites encourage anorexia, and pro-mia sites encourage bulimia. Both adhere to a “thinspiration” philosophy, which promotes continual weight loss. These sites serve as a symbol of the mixed messages that society promotes. On one hand, thinness and perfection are coveted by our culture, yet on the other hand, too much coveting of these ideals is frowned upon and forced underground.
Treatment of Eating Disorders Anorexia and Bulimia and Corresponding Perfectionist Characteristics
The eating disorders anorexia and bulimia are difficult to treat. Short-term recovery rates from anorexia and bulimia vary, hovering around 45 to 70 percent, and relapse is high. Mortality rates among anorexics are especially high—about one in five. Long-term detrimental heath effects of anorexia and bulimia, which include heart problems, are also a sobering reality. Treatment requires a multi-pronged approach, which incorporates nutritional counseling, medication, and therapy. The goal of therapy is to help anorexics and bulimics correct distorted thoughts about their bodies and help them establish more realistic, flexible, and positive thought patterns. Nevertheless, perfectionism continues to be a lifelong struggle for many individuals even after they have recovered from anorexia or bulimia.
Sources:
Eating Disorders Publications and Education
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