Understanding Eating Disorders: Research and Awareness in 2025 (posted February 26, 2025)

By Adam Behnke, BCPH Communications Specialist
 
Eating disorders are a complex and life-threatening mental health condition that affect more people than you might realize. An estimated 9% of the U.S. population, or 28.8 million Americans, will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. 10,200 deaths each year are the direct result of an eating disorder. That amounts to one death in the U.S. every 52 minutes. Eating disorders are complex and involve emotions, attitudes and behaviors about weight, food, and size that severely impair a person’s functioning in major areas of life. Despite the misconception of being a “women’s problem”, they also affect men and numerous other populations, including LGBTQ+, athletes, veterans, people in larger bodies, and older adults. This edition of the Healthy Herald has been scheduled during Eating Disorders Awareness Week (February 24 – March 2) to provide an overview of these illnesses that have a largely hidden hold on swaths of our society.

Common Types of Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are brain illnesses that, from a scientific perspective, are caused or influenced by genetic, biological, environmental, and social elements. This means that an eating disorder is not caused by one specific factor, but rather by a series of unique influences on a particular person’s life.

Anorexia Nervosa – Anorexia is among the deadliest mental illnesses. It causes a person to see their weight in a distorted way and have a strong fear of gaining weight. Very low body weight results from not getting enough nutrition. Heart health is particularly at risk with this disorder, as it can cause irregular rhythms, valve prolapse, or heart failure. Other health risks include:

• Bone loss (osteoporosis)
• Muscle wasting and weakness
• Anemia
• Kidney problems
• Gastrointestinal issues like constipation, bloating, or nausea
• Hormonal imbalances

Bulimia Nervosa – Bulimia is the cycle of binge eating followed by purging behaviors like self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, fasting, and exercising to excess. This cycle is not just about food; it’s a complex mental health condition taking a severe tool on body and mind. People with bulimia can be a healthy weight but often struggle with self-esteem issues linked to an obsession over their body image. Health risks include:

• Heart irregularities or possible failure
• Dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
• Esophageal tears, inflammation and acid reflux
• Teeth decay due to exposure to stomach acid
• Ulcers in the mouth and throat

Binge Eating Disorder (BED) – Binge eating is defined as the urge to consume large amounts of food, often followed by restrictive eating to “atone” for the binging. People may use binge eating as an escape from negative emotions, but the comfort provided by the food does not last and is often replaced by guilt, shame and a switch to a very restrictive diet. This intense cycle can greatly disrupt daily life.

Binge eating became an officially recognized disorder in 2013 and is now the second most diagnosed eating disorder. Some health risks include:

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes
• Anxiety and depression

Warning Signs and Symptoms
Detecting an eating disorder in a loved one or friend is a complicated task because the signs may vary from person to person. A big indicator might be a noticeable change in their attitudes toward food and their body. They may become preoccupied with their weight, body shape or appearance and become hyper-focused on weight loss, dieting and control of food. You may find them withdrawing from social circles or becoming prone to mood swings. Physically, you may notice fluctuations in their weight (up or down) or issues with their skin, hair, nails or teeth. The person may also complain of gastrointestinal issues or have trouble concentrating or sleeping.

Common Myths and Challenges
Public perception often reduces eating disorders to vanity or poor lifestyle choices, but this ignores their biological roots. A leading expert on eating disorders, Dr. Cynthia Bulik, has spent decades studying the top three EDs and developed a framework she calls “9 Truths”. The document emphasizes that these illnesses are not a “phase”, but rather serious conditions influenced by someone’s genes and their environment that require medical intervention. 

Modern diet trends have had a harmful impact because they tend to normalize restrictive behaviors and can be easily seen as being “mainstream” on social media. This is causing more awareness about orthorexia, a term coined in 1997 that means an obsession with proper or ‘healthful’ eating.

Historically, the criteria for diagnosing an eating disorder focused on women, which has led to underdiagnosis and delays in diagnosis in men. Surveys indicate up to 30% of eating disorder cases occur in males, but the screening tools are found to be outdated and lacking male-centered context (e.g. a desire to be ‘lean’ instead of ‘thin’). In cases of binge eating, this means men wait an average of 18 months longer for a diagnosis than women.

Treatment and Recovery
The advance of telehealth due to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a benefit for treatment of eating disorders. Studies show that virtual therapy has a comparable outcome to in-person care for 60% of patients with bulimia or binge-eating disorder. Platforms that use artificial intelligence to help predict relapses (e.g. analyzing heart rate data from wearable devices) indicate early success in driving down hospital readmissions. The rising popularity of GLP-1 injections, designed for diabetes and obesity, show promise in curbing binge-eating by changing a person’s appetite. A 2024 trial showed a 50% reduction in binge days among people who received a weekly GLP-1 injection. This news does come with a warning, as researchers warn that these drugs may be used by patients with anorexia to increase their weight loss.

How to Help
If you think someone in your life needs to seek help due to an eating disorder, there is action you can take:

1. First, learn as much as you can about eating disorders.
2. Be honest and vocal with the person about your concerns.
3. Be caring, yet firm.
4. Be a good role model and practice what you preach to them.
5. Suggest they seek help from a doctor or therapist.

When considering how to approach someone, please DO NOT do the following:

1. Shame, blame or guilt the person.
2. Make rules or promises you can’t keep.
3. Invalidate their experience
4. Give advice about weight, exercise or appearance
5. Ignore or avoid the situation until it becomes severe.

Be prepared for negative reactions when you try to talk to your loved one or friend about an eating disorder. Taking the first step toward recovery is a very big hurdle for someone who is suffering; it’s both frightening and challenging. Try reminding the person why they want to get well and connect with the part of them that wants to get better.

Raising Awareness
The National Eating Disorders Association is emphasizing early intervention during this year’s Eating Disorders Awareness Week. It has a free online screening tool, which it says identifies at-risk individuals in 92% of cases. The #EDAW lighting campaign, which illuminates landmarks in signature blue and green colors, is being observed in more than 200 cities nationwide. Landmarks lit in honor of Eating Disorders Awareness Week include the Empire State Building, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Milwaukee County Historical Society.

Additionally, The National Eating Disorders Association has compiled free toolkits specific to parents, educators, coaches/athletic trainers, and people in the workplace to educate someone about how they might successfully support someone in their life with an eating disorder.

Affecting positive change begins with recognition that eating disorders are a public health issue. Though eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate among all mental health conditions, many don’t understand the urgent need for early detection and quality, accessible resources. Together, we can raise awareness and save lives!

Stay Healthy, Brown County!

Resources
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Eating-Disorders-101.pdf
https://emilyprogram.com/blog/eating-disorders-101/
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/screening-tool/
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/edawlightings/
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/toolkits/
https://anad.org/eating-disorder-statistic/#general\
https://bbrfoundation.org/blog/rethinking-eating-disorders
https://bhbusiness.com/2024/12/31/eating-disorder-outlook-2025-ma-on-the-rise-glp-1s-impact-treatment/
https://www.waldeneatingdisorders.com/blog/latest-eating-disorder-research/