Disordered eating refers to a pattern of abnormal eating behaviors like impulsive eating, purging, restricting food intake, and using potentially harmful and ineffective methods to manage body weight. These behaviors are influenced by various biological, psychological, and social factors and are often associated with negative body image and distorted attitudes toward food.

Although disordered eating behaviors are less frequent or severe compared to those needed for the diagnosis of an eating disorder, they can still have significant effects on body weight and overall health.^[1]

Disordered eating behaviors may include frequent dieting, anxiety related to specific foods or meal skipping, chronic weight fluctuations, rigid rituals and routines surrounding food and exercise, and feelings of guilt and shame associated with eating.

Individuals with disordered eating are often preoccupied by distorted thoughts about food, weight, and body image. They may also experience a loss of control around food and engage in compulsive eating habits. In an attempt to compensate for consuming what they perceive as "bad foods," they may resort to using exercise, food restriction, fasting, or purging.^[1]

Diagnostic tools used for eating disorders can also be used to identify disordered eating behaviors, but because disordered eating doesn’t meet the clinical diagnostic criteria, it doesn’t receive a diagnosis. Different health providers can play a role in identifying these behaviors with questionnaires about a person’s dietary history, nutrient intake, and eating habits.^[1]

Most interventions for disordered eating are still in the experimental stages and are not considered medical treatments, but telephone-provided cognitive behavioral therapy reduced disordered eating in a small study of participants who had undergone bariatric surgery.^[2]

Intuitive eating, cognitive dissonance-based group treatment, mindfulness, and yoga have all been studied for preventing or reducing disordered eating behaviors, with varying efficacy. Intuitive eating and cognitive dissonance-based interventions appear to be the most effective ways to prevent or reduce disordered eating behaviors.^[3][4][5]

Mindfulness shows some promise for reducing certain disordered eating behaviors in adults, but it may not be appropriate for adolescents.^[6][7] Based on the limited amount of research, yoga can lead to a more positive mood, but it doesn’t appear to improve risk factors for disordered eating.^[8]

Other interventions aimed at improving body image — such as body appreciation and education on social media usage — may also help to prevent disordered eating behaviors.^[5][9]

Disordered eating behaviors can be triggered by a variety of situations, including stressful life events like divorce, the death of a loved one, childhood trauma, or the diagnosis of a serious illness or injury. The behaviors can sometimes be a way to regain a sense of control after experiencing a major life change. Dieting and using nutrition trackers to lose weight can also lead to the development of disordered eating behaviors.^{[10][11][12][1]}

Other risk factors include perfectionism, negative self-image, being teased or bullied as a child, problematic social media use, and tracking body weight, all of which can contribute to body comparison and dissatisfaction.^[13][7]