Evolutionary Perspectives on Eating Disorders

Abstract

Abstract Eating disorders (primarily anorexia and bulimia nervosa) are of particular interest to evolutionists for a number of reasons. These include the claim that they are evolutionarily novel, that they have increased in prevalence in developed countries in recent decades, their large female preponderance, and the fact that they have the highest risk of mortality of any psychiatric disorder. These, have led to a proliferation of theoretical etiological models. Some of these features increase the possibility that evolutionary approaches dealing with ultimate causation may facilitate our understanding of proximate causes. A review of the current evolutionary literature suggests that the sexual competition hypothesis has, so far, had the strongest empirical support from clinical and nonclinical studies. While other evolutionary theories focus on anorexia nervosa, the sexual competition hypothesis offers an explanation for both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and also explains the specific presentations of eating disorders in males.