FoMO and anxiety may increase addictive eating risk

By Dr. Liji Thomas, MDReviewed by Lauren HardakerMay 12 2026

Could the fear of missing out influence what, and how much, we eat? Researchers say FoMO may fuel addictive eating patterns by increasing reward-driven cravings, especially in people with higher anxiety levels. 

Study: The Impact of Fear of Missing out (FoMO) on Addictive Eating: A Moderated Mediation Model. Image credit: La Famiglia/shutterstock.com

Addictive eating is associated with Fear of Missing Out (FoMO), in part involving reward-related eating, according to a recent exploratory study published in the journal Nutrients.

Ultra-processed foods linked to compulsive overeating

Addictive eating, sometimes referred to as food addiction, is a term used to describe “chronic excessive dysregulated consumption of hyperpalatable or ultra-processed energy-dense foods.” Such individuals have poor control over their eating, crave certain foods, and overeat habitually even when they experience negative consequences. These include adverse health outcomes such as cardiometabolic disease and higher odds of anxiety, depression, and stress.

In addition, some people with addictive eating overeat when they are triggered by these mental health conditions. Females are more likely to have food addiction, including more severe forms. They are also more sensitive to food-associated reward feelings, which are linked to higher addictive eating symptoms.

Could FoMO shape unhealthy eating habits?

In this study, the researchers investigated whether FoMO could play a role in addictive eating behaviors. FoMO describes the uneasy, anxiety-provoking sense that one may be missing out on a rewarding experience, often prompting compulsive behaviors aimed at easing that discomfort. 

Missing rewarding experiences may trigger compulsive behaviors

While initially introduced in relation to social media, FoMO has been suggested to be applicable to eating behavior as well. For some such individuals, eating may offer excitement or stimulation, relieving or distracting them from their FoMO, but also strengthening their overeating tendency as a chronic coping mechanism. Eventually, this may become a habit, and they may become food addicts.

Earlier research found that FoMO was associated with a higher number of meals per day, though the effect size was small. Similar trends were seen with FoMO and alcohol consumption at drinking occasions, as well as with negative consequences related to drinking.

Exploring FoMO’s possible brain mechanisms 

The authors note that the neurobiology of FoMO remains poorly understood, but hypothesize that it may involve the brain’s reward circuitry, which releases dopamine in response to anxiety-reducing behavior, in this case, eating the desired food. Previous studies have shown that reward pathways are activated by consumption of ultra-processed food (UPF).

Reward-related eating

Another area involves reward-related eating; “eating driven by the rewarding and relieving aspects of food.” Eating when bored or stressed falls into this category. This behavior also shares the features of addictive eating, though generally to a lesser degree.

Reward-related eating can become maladaptive when eating is driven by reward rather than hunger cues. People with higher levels of reward-related eating may be preoccupied with food-related thoughts, experience poor control over their eating, and report reduced feelings of satiety. Repeated reward-related eating may drive compulsive overeating reinforced by the immediate pleasure of food consumption.

Examining interrelationships between FoMO and addictive eating

Putting these together, the researchers hypothesized that people with higher levels of FoMO are more likely to show reward-related eating behavior, which may contribute to addictive eating. Higher FoMO levels were also associated with greater symptoms of anxiety and depression, and these in turn predict the level of FoMO.

The study included 227 participants with a mean age of 49 years and a body mass index (BMI) of 28.5 kg/m2. Of these, approximately 78 % had no or minimal addictive eating, while 16 % had it in severe form. Anxiety and depression above mild levels were present in 51 % and 34 % of participants.

FoMO is associated with addictive eating

The analysis revealed a cluster of interconnected psychological patterns: higher anxiety, stress, and depression scores were all linked to greater FoMO, stronger reward-related eating tendencies, and more addictive eating symptoms. Older age was also associated with higher FoMO, anxiety, and depression scores.

Importantly, people with greater FoMO were more likely to engage in reward-related eating, which was in turn associated with increased addictive eating behaviors.

The nuanced role of anxiety

The findings suggest that anxiety may intensify the link between reward-related eating and addictive eating, with stronger associations seen at higher anxiety levels. Although this effect was statistically significant, it was relatively modest, leading the researchers to suggest that other psychological, behavioral, or environmental factors likely play a larger role overall. Even so, the authors note that the finding may still carry clinical relevance, particularly for people vulnerable to anxiety-related eating behaviors.

Notably, anxiety did not appear to influence the direct relationship between FoMO and reward-related eating, nor the direct association between FoMO and addictive eating itself.

The authors discuss possible connections between FoMO and addictive eating: social eating, social media exposure to food-related content, and peer influence that could promote imitation behavior.

Existing FoMO scale may miss food-specific behaviors

This study included an Australian sample, mostly female, limiting generalizability. It had a cross-sectional design, limiting causal inferences. Moreover, a few individuals had moderate to severe addictive eating. The small number of participants may have reduced the power to detect some associations.

The researchers relied on self-reported data. In addition, the FoMO scoring system used in this study was not optimized for food-related FoMO and was originally developed to assess social experiences and social media use. The tools used may not have been sensitive enough to detect the effects of depression and stress on FoMO, reward-related eating, and addictive eating. Notably, these mental health variables are closely interrelated, making it difficult to determine their separate roles and the directionality of their relationships.

FoMO may contribute to addictive eating behaviors

This study is among the earliest to investigate FoMO as a contributing factor in reward-related eating and addictive eating. Although preliminary, these findings provide useful hypotheses for future research and could eventually help guide the development of more effective treatments for addictive eating behavior. Larger longitudinal studies with improved data sources could help replicate and extend these findings.

The findings suggest that FoMO is associated with addictive eating and that this is partly mediated by reward-related eating. The authors suggest that interventions targeting coping strategies and maladaptive thought patterns may warrant further investigation as possible approaches to addressing addictive eating behaviors.

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