Bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa are prevalent in Western countries, such as the United States, but recent studies have shown that they are also on the rise in Asian countries such as China. There are several reasons for this, such as, Chinese culture and westernization. Researchers are looking into these causes, so they can know how to treat and prevent them. Background Body Dissatisfaction Eating disorders, once thought prevalent only in Western cultures such as that of the United States, are now seen in Chinese women. This is surprising as, in the past, it was highly unlikely. Their body shapes, including their round faces with mild plumpness, showed their beauty and healthy living. Thus, once thought unusual in China, body dissatisfaction and eating disorders are almost as common now as they are in Western countries. Causes Cultural In China, many traditional people hold to a collectivistic cultural tradition (or Confucianism). They learn to conform as an interdependent whole rather than as unique independent beings. This dependency starts in the family, where a parent to child hierarchy is enforced and children are taught to be submissive and obedient. This can cause feelings of rebellion in the child which is why some of them may turn to eating disorders. The child wants to have some control, but they also do not want to disrespect their parents by pursuing autonomy, and so restricting food or binging and purging is, in a way, their way of making decisions. Several studies confirmed that cultural factors resulting in rebelliousness caused eating disorder symptoms. Ulrike Schmidt, a professor in eating disorders, studied three patients with Chinese heritage who participated in binging and purging behaviours. Her first patient, patient A, grew up in England. As a teenager, patient As parents expected her to help them with their business since they did not speak fluent English. On top of this she gave them most of her earnings from her job, and she was expected to participate in family life. Dr. Schmidt found that her bulimia symptoms came about because she was seeking independence, and yet she wanted to remain obedient to her parents. This conclusion supports the idea that loyalty versus independence played a conflicting role that lead to eating disorder symptoms. Moreover, Dr. Schmidt also concluded that patient As mother nurtured her when she started losing weight. As a result, patient A exploited this in order to make