What an odd question. I can only offer one perspective. I grew up in a time when the ideal female body type (and only type considered sexy) was short, curvy, with a small waist, bigger boobs and ass, small delicate hands and feet. Petite and curvy I would say, maybe small by today’s standards but not at all skinny nor tall. Plush and short in height.

I was/had none of those things. Tall and skinny, big hands and feet, no curves to speak of. I liked being skinny and liked being tall too, but certainly there was not any outside social pressure to be so thin. Then I had a tragedy and was stressed, and yes looking back I am sure that the anxiety around eating was sort of a reaction to that grief and stress.

But at any point did I think I was controlling my eating to be in a more socially acceptable body form? Hell no. And oddly, when the taller, thinner models started appearing, I got much happier about my body, and it eased the anxiety around eating.

I think it’s internal. Anorexia/restriction in particular. And yes related to life being out of control.