Eating Disorders

An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating habits that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health.

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.

Diagnostic Criteria for Orthorexia

Binge-Eating Disorder Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms of Orthorexia

Is Anorexia a Metabolic Disorder?

Anorexia Nervosa Signs and Symptoms

Night Eating Disorder / Syndrome

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Bulimia Nervosa Signs and Symptoms

How is Anorexia Nervosa Diagnosed?

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

Managing Indigestion (Dyspepsia)

What is Binge Eating Disorder?

What is Rumination Disorder / Syndrome?

Anorexia Nervosa Complications

Uncommon Causes for Indigestion

Epidemiology of Orthorexia Nervosa

What is a Binge-Eating Disorder?

Lifestyle Changes for Indigestion (Dyspepsia)

Health Risks of Binge Eating Disorder

What is Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder?

What Causes Binge Eating Disorder?

Binge-Eating Disorder Treatment

Latest Eating Disorders News and Research

Scientists discover how the immune system signals the brain to avoid germs

Researchers from the University of Bonn and University Hospital Bonn uncover vital mechanism for survival

16 Apr 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

When omega-3 may help mental health and when they may not

Investigating omega-3 fatty acids, this review highlights their impact on mental health, inflammation, and the potential for therapeutic use in disorders.

10 Apr 2026

Study links excessive smartphone use with poor body image and disordered eating

New research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King's College London has found that excessive smartphone use is closely associated with disordered eating, including uncontrolled eating and emotional overeating, as well greater symptoms of food addiction in young people with no diagnosis of an eating disorder.

13 Mar 2026

Largest genetic study classifies 14 psychiatric disorders into five major groups

Although mental disorders have multifactorial causes, genetics can explain some of them, yet this field remains largely unexplored in terms of guiding diagnoses and treatments.

9 Mar 2026

Skin-delivered estrogen improves bone health in amenorrhoa

Hormone replacement therapy applied via the skin is the best way of protecting bone density in women whose periods have stopped due to anorexia or intense exercise, according to new research from Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

6 Feb 2026

Neural circuits in flies provide insights into human eating

Why do we sometimes keep eating even when we're full and other times turn down food completely? Why do we crave salty things at certain times, and sweets at other times? The answers, according to new neuroscience research at the University of Delaware, may lie in a tiny brain in an organism you might not expect.

30 Jan 2026

Muscle loss may persist after weight recovery in anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric condition characterized by a fear of weight gain and reduced calorie consumption that can result in dangerous weight loss.

5 Jan 2026

Orthorexia nervosa links strongly to perfectionism and OCD traits, review shows

This umbrella review synthesised five meta-analyses to estimate the reported prevalence of orthorexia nervosa and examine its psychological correlates. Findings show wide variability in prevalence estimates and consistent links with eating disorder symptoms, obsessive-compulsive traits, and perfectionistic strivings, limited by high methodological heterogeneity.

18 Dec 2025

Extra sleep after the autumn clock change linked to reduced demand for NHS health services

The week after the autumn clock change is associated with a reduction in demand for NHS services for sleep disorders, cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression, and psychiatric conditions in England, finds a study in the Christmas issue of The BMJ.

18 Dec 2025

Massive genetics study shows what truly separates and unites 14 psychiatric disorders

This large-scale genomic analysis of 14 psychiatric disorders shows that most heritable risk is shared across five broad genetic factors, with only limited disorder-specific variation. The study maps where risks converge or diverge biologically, revealing distinct cell type signatures and developmental pathways that may guide future diagnostic and therapeutic frameworks.

12 Dec 2025

Study reveals shared genetic roots across multiple psychiatric disorders

Distinct psychiatric disorders have more in common biologically than previously believed, according to the largest and most detailed analysis to date of how genes influence mental illness.

11 Dec 2025

Teenagers with body image issues may develop eating disorders and depression later

Teenagers who are unhappy with their bodies are more likely to develop symptoms of eating disorders and depression in early adulthood, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

11 Dec 2025

Shared genetic roots of 14 psychiatric disorders revealed

Researchers from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC) report that most genetic influences on mental illness are shared across diagnostic categories, revealing a more interconnected biological landscape than traditional classifications suggest.

11 Dec 2025

Global study reveals massive hidden health burden from violence against women and children

Sexual violence against children and intimate partner violence against women are two of the most devastating yet persistently underrecognized global health challenges and rank among the top risks for mortality and morbidity worldwide, according to research published in The Lancet today.

9 Dec 2025

11 genetic loci that shape impulsive decision-making

Researchers identify distinct genetic loci involved in delay discounting and how these variants are involved in physical and psychiatric health outcomes.

3 Dec 2025

Maternal eating disorders linked to higher asthma and wheezing risks in children

Eating disorders in mums-to-be are linked to a heightened risk of asthma and wheezing in their children, irrespective of the type of disorder, presence of co-existing depression/anxiety, or the timing of their child's exposure, finds research published online in the journal Thorax.

2 Dec 2025