Eating Disorder

An eating disorder is marked by extremes. It is present when a person experiences severe disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme reduction of food intake or extreme overeating, or feelings of extreme distress or concern about body weight or shape.

What is an Eating Disorder?

Eating disorders are a type of serious mental health condition characterized by severe disturbances in eating behaviors and related thoughts and emotions.

Early Attachment and Anorexia

Binge-Eating Disorder Treatment

Eating Disorders Diagnosis

Emotional Overeating

Diabulimia Eating Disorder

Eating Disorder Signs

Eating Disorders and Social Media

Eating Disorder Treatments

Binge-Eating Disorder Signs and Symptoms

What is Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder?

What is Pica Eating Disorder?

See more featured articles »

What Causes Eating Disorders?

What Does a Diagnosis of Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS) Mean?

Binge-Eating Disorder Causes

Eating Disorders in Children

What is Rumination Disorder / Syndrome?

What Causes Binge Eating Disorder?

Night Eating Disorder / Syndrome

What is Binge Eating Disorder?

Health Risks of Binge Eating Disorder

Eating Disorder Symptoms

Latest Eating Disorder News and Research

Largest neuroimaging study of bulimia nervosa finds structural brain differences linked to diagnosis and binge-eating severity

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that individuals with bulimia nervosa have structural differences in brain regions involved in reward and motivation, as well as social and sensory processing, and that more frequent binge eating is associated with more widespread differences in brain structure, according to research published today in JAMA Psychiatry.

18 Sep 2026

Experts call for eating-disorder screening before GLP-1 treatment

An international multidisciplinary panel developed consensus-based recommendations for GLP-1 receptor agonist use in people with eating disorders, calling for screening, individualized monitoring, patient education, and further research into safety and potential therapeutic effects. The experts cautioned that current evidence remains limited and inconsistent, particularly outside binge eating disorder, and identified major gaps in understanding the risk of new or recurrent eating disorders during treatment.

16 Sep 2026

Bulimia nervosa linked to structural differences in brain regions

16 Sep 2026

Teenagers from disadvantaged families show greater eating disorder risk

Teenagers who come from households with a lower income and lower level of education are more likely to have an eating disorder, finds a new study co-led by UCL researchers.

7 Sep 2026

Rapid rise of GLP-1 medicines brings obesity and eating disorders together

Obesity and eating disorders have traditionally been treated as separate areas of healthcare – but the rapid rise of GLP-1 medicines is increasingly bringing the two together.

28 Aug 2026

GLP-1 meds prompt rethink of obesity and eating disorder care

Obesity and eating disorders have traditionally been treated as separate areas of healthcare – but the rapid rise of GLP-1 medicines is increasingly bringing the two together.

26 Aug 2026

New research uncovers unique genetic links to eating disorders

New research led by the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London, in collaboration with an international partnership of researchers, has, for the first time, compared the genetics of people with binge eating versus those without any eating disorder.

19 Aug 2026

GLP-1 weight-loss drugs may also reduce binge eating

Research indicates GLP-1RAs may effectively reduce binge eating severity, offering a complementary approach to existing psychological therapies for obesity.

20 Jul 2026

Weight loss drugs may reduce binge eating disorder symptoms

Drugs commonly used for weight loss, known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, have been found to reduce the key symptoms of binge eating disorder, in a new review of evidence led by University College London (UCL) researchers.

15 Jul 2026

Gut microbiota may shape eating behavior and guide new obesity treatments

The review shows how gut microbiota may influence appetite, food reward, inflammation, and energy balance through the gut-brain axis. Microbiota-targeted approaches could support future treatments for obesity and eating disorders, but clinical evidence remains limited.

12 Jul 2026

Active birth control pills may increase emotional eating

Combined oral contraceptives are associated with increased emotional eating, suggesting hormonal effects on eating behaviors and potential binge eating risks.

9 Jul 2026

Study finds two effective therapies for common childhood eating disorder

The first randomized, controlled trial for a common childhood eating disorder has shown how therapists and parents can help those struggling with the condition, known as avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, or ARFID.

29 Jun 2026

Media pressure makes high-calorie food cues feel longer to teen girls

In 55 French female adolescents, high-calorie food images were perceived as lasting longer than low-calorie images during a temporal bisection task. Perceived media pressure strengthened this time-distortion effect, while body appreciation showed tentative evidence of reducing it after accounting for eating-disorder risk.

17 Jun 2026

Ketogenic diet shows promise in treating anorexia nervosa

A pilot study published today in Communications Medicine demonstrates the potential of a new approach to treating anorexia nervosa - a disorder for which effective treatments have been significantly limited.

3 Jun 2026

NHS cost to treat youth mental health crises quadruples over a decade

The annual cost to the NHS to treat children and young people experiencing a mental health crisis in specialised acute hospital wards in England quadrupled to £87.5 million between 2012 and 2022, finds a new study led by UCL researchers.

21 May 2026

Selective eating in autism linked to inflammatory gut bacteria

Eating habits shape gut bacteria in children with autism, with potential dietary interventions offering hope for improving gut health and inflammation.

13 May 2026

Nutrition and body image program improves recovery for women with substance use disorders

A recent study in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior (JNEB), published by Elsevier, examined the impact of the Healthy Steps to Freedom (HSF-10) program on nutrition, body image, and health-related behaviors among 607 women undergoing treatment for substance use.

7 May 2026

Digital therapy apps improve mental health support for college students

College students with anxiety, depression and eating disorders may be more likely to start and to respond more positively to therapy offered via a digital app compared to referrals to in-person campus clinics, according to a study led by Penn State researchers and published today (May 7) in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.

7 May 2026

Using symptom dimensions may provide more precise, personalized mental health care

A researcher from the University of Kansas has led a large-scale study of university undergraduates to better understand how psychological conditions such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders are connected.

4 May 2026

Calorie labels on menus may benefit people with binge eating disorders

Food calorie labels on menus in cafes and restaurants can be helpful for people with binge eating disorders, even aiding their recovery, finds new research from UCL and King's College London.

15 Apr 2026