Why Do So Many People Struggle with Weight, Body Image, and Eating Disorders?

In today’s world, it seems almost impossible to escape messages about dieting, body “fixing,” and food rules. From social media filters to weight-loss ads, the pressure to look a certain way—combined with contradictory advice about what, when, or how to eat—has contributed to a rise in body dissatisfaction and disordered eating across all age groups.

But why is this struggle so widespread? Why do so many people, regardless of size, gender, background, or age, experience conflict with food, weight, and body image?

The answer lies in the intersection of biology, psychology, environment, and culture. Let’s explore the key reasons behind this modern epidemic of body distress—and how we can begin to shift the narrative.

1. Diet Culture and the Thin Ideal

At the root of many struggles is diet culture: a system of beliefs that equates thinness with health, worthiness, and morality. It promotes the idea that:

• Smaller bodies are better

• Weight loss is always healthy

• Certain foods are “good” or “bad”

• Self-control around food is virtuous

This culture is deeply embedded in media, healthcare, education, and even family dynamics. The result? People grow up fearing fatness, internalizing shame, and believing that their body must be changed to be acceptable.

70% of women and 50% of men report body dissatisfaction, regardless of actual body size (Grabe et al., 2008).

2. Psychological Vulnerability

Certain personality traits and mental health conditions make individuals more vulnerable to developing eating disorders or chronic body dissatisfaction. These include:

• Perfectionism

• Low self-esteem

• Anxiety or depression

• Obsessive thinking or compulsivity

• A history of trauma, abuse, or bullying

Eating behaviors can offer a false sense of control in chaotic situations, or become a way to numb emotions or meet unfulfilled needs for safety, belonging, or identity.

3. Biological and Genetic Factors

Eating disorders are not simply a product of external pressure—they also have a biological basis. Research shows that genetics can influence:

• Appetite regulation

• Impulsivity and compulsive behavior

• Emotional sensitivity

• Set point weight ranges

• Risk for depression, anxiety, or OCD

Twin studies suggest that 50–80% of the risk for eating disorders is heritable (Trace et al., 2013). This doesn’t mean EDs are inevitable, but that biology can shape how someone responds to environmental and psychological stressors.

4. Media and Social Comparison

Social media platforms often promote curated, idealized images that are filtered, edited, and often unattainable. Constant exposure to idealized bodies increases:

• Body surveillance (constantly monitoring your own appearance)

• Social comparison

• Shame and dissatisfaction

Even well-meaning health or fitness content can reinforce harmful messages when it’s wrapped in weight-centric, appearance-focused language.

5. Weight Stigma and Fatphobia

Weight stigma is prejudice or discrimination based on a person’s weight or size. It’s embedded in:

• Healthcare (e.g., blaming weight for all symptoms)

• Education and employment

• Media portrayals of fatness as lazy, undisciplined, or unattractive

• Internalized beliefs about health and morality

Weight stigma is not only harmful—it is a major risk factor for eating disorders, depression, and even metabolic complications, independent of body size (Puhl & Suh, 2015).

6. Early Messages and Family Influence

Children receive body and food messages from a young age, such as:

• “Clean your plate”

• “You can’t have dessert until you eat your vegetables”

• “You’ve gained weight—should you cut back?”

Even well-intentioned comments can plant seeds of shame, distrust, or fear around food and the body. Parents who diet or comment on their own appearance may unintentionally model disordered thinking to their children.

7. Cultural and Social Identity Factors

Body image pressures are not uniform. People of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, neurodivergent individuals, and people with chronic illness or disability often face:

• Cultural dissonance (conflicting messages from different cultural norms)

• Hypervisibility or invisibility in body narratives

• Increased bullying or stigma

Eating disorders may serve as a coping mechanism in response to marginalization, trauma, or identity invalidation.

8. Lack of Accessible, Inclusive Care

Many individuals go undiagnosed or untreated because:

• They don’t “look sick enough”

• They are in larger bodies

• They are men, BIPOC, older adults, or nonbinary

• Providers lack training in eating disorders or weight-inclusive care

This leads to missed diagnoses, delayed treatment, and reinforcement of shame or confusion around food and body struggles.

Rewriting the Narrative

Understanding these influences can help shift the focus away from blame and toward compassion. Healing begins with recognizing that body and eating struggles are not personal failings, but symptoms of much larger societal and psychological pressures.

What Helps:

• Weight-inclusive care that separates health from weight

• Body-neutral or body-trusting frameworks

• Therapy that addresses trauma, perfectionism, and identity

• Community support that validates lived experiences

• Media literacy and social media boundaries

Final Thoughts

If you or someone you love is struggling with food or body image, know this: you are not alone, and you are not broken. These struggles are common because the systems around us are broken—not your body or your willpower.

With support, it’s possible to move from shame to self-trust, from fear to nourishment, and from disconnection to peace.

References

• Grabe, S., Ward, L. M., & Hyde, J. S. (2008). The role of the media in body image concerns among women. Psychological Bulletin, 134(3), 460–476.

• Puhl, R. M., & Suh, Y. (2015). Health consequences of weight stigma: Implications for obesity prevention and treatment. Current Obesity Reports, 4(2), 182–190.

• Trace, S. E., Baker, J. H., Peñas-Lledó, E., & Bulik, C. M. (2013). The genetics of eating disorders. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 9, 589–620.

• Tylka, T. L., & Wood-Barcalow, N. L. (2015). The Body Appreciation Scale–2: An instrument for evaluating body acceptance. Body Image, 12, 53–67.