Is Sexual Abuse a Risk Factor for Developing an Eating Disorder?

Some critical comments are made with regard to the possible relationship between a history of sexual abuse and the development of an eating disorder. In a case of sexual abuse, many factors and variables interacting with one another may play a role in the development of psychiatric sequelae, including eating disorders. The fact that a linear causal link does not exist does not mean that sexual abuse is not a risk factor for eating disorders.