Final answer:
According to Hilde Bruch's research, anorexia nervosa often occurs in girls who are exposed to the cultural idealization of thinness, especially within White populations from Western societies.
Step-by-step explanation:
This condition is characterized by a consistent pattern of eating very little, leading to extreme thinness, and is accompanied by a distorted body image where individuals see themselves as overweight despite being underweight. Environmental risk factors such as child abuse, parental control over eating, a fragile sense of self-identity, and social isolation can also contribute to the development of anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
Those in professions with heightened attention to body image, such as dancers and elite athletes, may experience significant pressure to maintain a thin physique, which can exacerbate the risk of developing these disorders. Genetic predispositions, coupled with social and environmental factors, indicate a complex etiology for eating disorders.