Is bulimia associated with prior child abuse?

Good question: Child abuse in many settings can lead to poor self esteem, self deprecation, diminished self worth, or post traumatic stress disorder and anxiety disorders. All of these could manifest later in bulimia, among many other problems.

More Common: Previous child abuse is a risk factor for eating disorders including bulimia. However, not everyone with bulimia has experienced childhood abuse.

Sometimes: Childhood sexual abuse is a risk factor for bulimic behavior in some studies. Between one sixth and one third of the cases of significant bulimia could be attributed to childhood sexual abuse.In an Australian, population-based, longitudinal cohort study, the incidence of bulimic, but not anorexia nervosa, syndromes in teenaged girls was linked to childhood sexual abuse.