Dieting: Studies among adolescents have found that engaging in dieting is a predicter of later eating disturbances as well as fear of weight gain, negative body image, and body dissatisfaction

Certain Personality Characteristics: These include negative self-evaluation, low self-esteem, obsessionality, perfectionism, and neuroticism

Athletic Competition: Involvement in certain competitive athletic environments may be correlated to the development of eating disorders. More specifically, ballet dancers and people who do a large amount of aerobic activity while being at a low weight throughout adolescence are at increased risk.

Genetics: Twin studies suggest that genetics may be a risk factor in developing anorexia nervosa