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Which types are most likely to acquire eating disorders?

B

brainheart

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Probably Exxx - Introverts are less concerned with their image.

Shows how little you know about both introverts and eating disorders, no offense or anything.

Party bulimics, those that do it because their friends do, sure chances are they'll be extroverts.

Introverts can be plenty concerned about their image. It's how they convey themselves without talking. Also, look good and chances are the boy will come up to talk to you vs you having to instigate it.

Typically, however, eating disorders have little to do with trying to make yourself look good but more with loss of control and regaining control. For example, if you are someone with undiagnosed mental health issues- let's say bipolar because your moods are often fluctuating for what seems to be no apparent reason- and you feel like there's so little about you that you have power over, well, not eating is a good way to exert control over yourself. Not to mention, not eating can give you a sort of feel-good buzz, like you get after lots of exercise.

I think this is another reason introverts may be more susceptible to eating disorders. Often introverts have a hard time expressing their pain or needs or desires out loud so their problems can often go unsolved. Or they tend to try and solve their problems on their own by self-medicating with drugs, food (or with-holding food), cutting, etc.

I don't know what types are most likely to get eating disorders- if there is any sort of correlation whatsoever-but I do know that most of the INFPs I have known have had issues with it at some point in their life, myself included, pretty much as a result of depression.
 

PoprocksAndCoke

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Shows how little you know about both introverts and eating disorders, no offense or anything.

Party bulimics, those that do it because their friends do, sure chances are they'll be extroverts.

Introverts can be plenty concerned about their image. It's how they convey themselves without talking. Also, look good and chances are the boy will come up to talk to you vs you having to instigate it.

Typically, however, eating disorders have little to do with trying to make yourself look good but more with loss of control and regaining control. For example, if you are someone with undiagnosed mental health issues- let's say bipolar because your moods are often fluctuating for what seems to be no apparent reason- and you feel like there's so little about you that you have power over, well, not eating is a good way to exert control over yourself. Not to mention, not eating can give you a sort of feel-good buzz, like you get after lots of exercise.

I think this is another reason introverts may be more susceptible to eating disorders. Often introverts have a hard time expressing their pain or needs or desires out loud so their problems can often not be solved. Or they tend to try and solve their problems on their own by self-medicating with drugs, food (or with-holding food), cutting, etc.

I don't know what types are most likely to get eating disorders- if there is any sort of correlation whatsoever-but I do know that most of the INFPs I have known have had issues with it at some point in their life, myself included, pretty much as a result of depression.

Again, maybe bad wording on my part. I meant Extraverts are more susceptible to becoming obsessed with their image to others. I'm just theorizing. I won't claim to be an expert on eating disorders. I'm trying to give an opinion. I know a lot about Introverts, by the way - I used to be one for a while. I'm actually not that much higher in extravert percentage than introvert. I know introverts care about their image - I'm not stupid.
 
V

violaine

Guest
Don't know about most likely but INJs are definitely candidates... Eating disorders can often stem from issues around control which INJs can have in spades. People develop EDs for various reasons but wanting to assert control is a biggie.
 
B

brainheart

Guest
Again, maybe bad wording on my part. I meant Extraverts are more susceptible to becoming obsessed with their image to others. I'm just theorizing. I won't claim to be an expert on eating disorders. I'm trying to give an opinion. I know a lot about Introverts, by the way - I used to be one for a while. I'm actually not that much higher in extravert percentage than introvert. I know introverts care about their image - I'm not stupid.

Don't think you're stupid. I suppose I was too gruff. Just laying out my opinion... What makes you think you are an extrovert vs an introvert now? I'm just asking because I think I read somewhere that you're young and I guess you could maybe think I was extroverted as all get out when I was in my late teens, but that was just a brief spell of sociability.
 

PoprocksAndCoke

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Don't think you're stupid. I suppose I was too gruff. Just laying out my opinion... What makes you think you are an extrovert vs an introvert now? I'm just asking because I think I read somewhere that you're young and I guess you could maybe think I was extroverted as all get out when I was in my late teens, but that was just a brief spell of sociability.

I was introverted when I was twelve;). Or maybe I was just mistyped. Either way I was very quiet and drained by interaction, but now I'm energized by it.

Edit: Never realized this was my 200th post! *Congratulates self*
 

simulatedworld

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I guess ESPs are more likely to develop disorders like obesity simply from inability to control impulses.

But the stuff about INJs and control issues--that's interesting. Can anybody expound on that?
 

Xenon

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I read in 'Type Talk' that NFPs were particularly susceptible (both E and I). I don't think E/I has much to do with it. As others have pointed out, they're a mask for something else at the core, not all that much about looking good.
 

PoprocksAndCoke

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The INJs I know can be "control freaks" at times, but I don't know if that applies to the majority of INJs.
 

am_i_evil666

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I don't really think that type matters when it comes to eating disorders. I think it depends more on how fucked up you are and of the environment you live in, and not on your type.
 

Edasich

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Maybe INFXs. Of course any type could tho. I was getting that way when i was younger but didn't get to the point of being actually anorexic, just pretty skinny and my period stopped. But i could never see myself getting that way now, i've become much healthier since leaving HS.
 

Valiant

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Here's a method... Elimination.
I think you could strike ENTJs off the list, if i'm not entirely mistaken.
If anything, we don't seem to have a problem with food at all.
Almost all ENTJs I have spoken to are more or less food lovers.
I'm sort of an amateur gourmet chef myself.

ENTPs, ESTJs and ENFJs seem very unlikely, too...


I'd probably go with IxFx types, ENFPs and ESFPs. Never met an anorectic ENFP though... I know quite a few ENFPs who are or have been bulimics, though.
Just personal experience, it might be way off.
 

Litvyak

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SPs. I don't see a correlation between eating disorders and the E/I scale.
 

Valiant

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Could be right... But it (eating disorders) also seems so very illogical, which would point in the direction of F.
 
G

Glycerine

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People who need some sort of control over their chaotic lives. In other words, the types that are extra sensitive to their environments will probably tend to get eating disorders the most often.
 

Haphazard

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ISJs. 1) they are the most common type 2) they can be very concerned with control
 

PoprocksAndCoke

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Could be right... But it (eating disorders) also seems so very illogical, which would point in the direction of F.

I don't think it has much to do with F vs. T. I'm a logical F for the most part. Fs and Ts just tend to have different ways of arriving at the conclusion that they must lose/gain weight. It's most common in young teenagers and older tweens, as I remember from doing a report on it. Sorry, can't remember my source. As someone else on TypoC said, that's usually when you're going through the most stress as you develop, seek independece, face social problems, and all that. Even T teenagers can get very emotional. They're just as likely to develop an eating disorder as Fs.
 

bronson

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I think anyone can be susceptible to and eating disorder if in the right circumstances or whatever.

But, I think Introverted Feelers are far more likely to find themselves in that situation.

And I also think eating disorders can be more dangerous when it is an Introvert who is suffering from it.

Whilst I think that sometimes the self-image of IxFx's is likely to be worse than ExFx's I agree the more likely trigger of such an illness is a loss of control in their life.


For example - I have to friends who were best friends with one another and both had eating disorders. One was an ESFx and the other and INFJ.

The ESFx was always very open and it almost seemed like she delighted in letting people know of her problem with bulimia - kind of like the aforementioned 'party bulimics.' So because it was so well known about her problem intervention was easier.
I'm not sure what her causes for the illness were but, as harsh as this sounds, at times it all just seemed like a big attention seeking ploy - although to continually make yourself vomit for attention is pretty wacked so something more serious had to be going on.


The other friend, INFJ, her illness, I believe is more dangerous. She wouldn't speak about it, kept it under wraps, and the weight was dropping off - to the point of look really unhealthy, that's how we knew. She wasn't really bulimic, just anorexic.

I'm not sure of the causes but her parents were like legalistically strict rarely allowing her to do anything social, it was pretty full on at times. I think other things may have happened in her life that may have been traumatising. Anyway it was an obvious control thing.


Another weird point was the relationship between the two - it like they fed off oneanothers illness (pardon the pun), competing with each other in this weird and yet extremely close relationship.

Anyway, ultimately I think, in the case I spoke about, the INFJ was the most serious and problematic because it was so concealed - an absolute control mechanism as well.
So I think IxFx's are more predisposed to serious eating disorders.
 
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