By Mary Clymer, SWHR Public Affairs Intern
The content of this blog discusses eating disorders and may be difficult for some readers. For support with eating disorders or related challenges, contact the National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline at 1-866-662-1235. Find additional support organizations listed below.
Eating disorders are serious and life-threatening illnesses characterized by significant disruptions in a person’s eating behaviors. While eating disorders impact people of all genders, ages, and races, women are disproportionately affected by them. An estimated 20 million women in the United States suffer from eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. According to a research article in BMC Medicine, 15% of women suffer from an eating disorder by their 40s or 50s but only 27% of the women diagnosed with an eating disorder receive treatment.
From adolescence to adulthood, women are almost twice as vulnerable to eating disorders as men. While there is no direct cause of eating disorders, there are a variety of factors that can contribute to the development and worsening of symptoms, including genetics, hormonal shifts, mental health, societal pressures, and stigma. For example, women in midlife are especially vulnerable as they enter transitions, like menopause, which can intensify negative body image thoughts and disordered eating.
Eating disorders can also severely impact maternal health. Approximately 1 in 20 pregnant women are affected by eating disorders, and 40.2% of women report feeling concerned about their weight during pregnancy. Consequently, this chronic illness is associated with adverse maternal and fetal outcomes including miscarriages, preterm births, postnatal depression, hypertension, and reduced intrauterine growth. These complications in pregnancy can result in issues for women and their babies later in life.
The federal government currently supports eating disorder research and prevention through several agencies, including:
- The National Institutes of Health (NIH), which invested $55 million in research grants in fiscal year (FY) 2023 for eating disorders.
- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Eating Disorder Center of Excellence (SAMHSA’s Ed-CoE), which receives $5 million a year until FY 2027 to educate and equip health care providers and the public on eating disorders.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which monitors eating disorder risk and behaviors through the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS).
In addition to the current funding for eating disorders and women’s health, there are additional opportunities to address it across the federal government and bring attention to this disease. While President Trump’s FY 2026 Budget prioritizes programs like maternal and child health, nutrition, and mental health, eating disorders are not explicitly mentioned, even though they are deeply intertwined with these topics. And although research funding is critical, the president’s budget proposal, if implemented, would significantly cut NIH research funding by 40%. In April, at least seven eating disorder grants were terminated by the NIH, totaling almost $2.7 in funding, according to STAT News.
Similarly, the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission Report makes no reference to eating disorders, despite emphasizing the importance of nutrition and prevention. This lack of visibility for eating disorders and its disproportionate effect on women contributes to stigma, delayed treatment, and a lack of education.
The Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative also offers an opportunity to bring eating disorders into the national health conversation with its emphasis on chronic disease, mental health, and nutrition. There is an important intersection between chronic disease, a key focus of MAHA efforts, and chronic illness. For example, studies have found that youth with chronic health conditions are more likely to struggle with issues like self-esteem and depression, increasing the likelihood that they will develop disordered eating behavior.
However, there is recognition at the federal level that this is an important focus. The Senate, in its Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) report language for its fiscal year 2026, made several references to eating disorder programs. Specific provisions requested by the Committee related to eating disorders included $1 million “to provide trainings for primary health care professionals to screen, intervene, and refer patients to treatment for the severe mental illness of eating disorders” as well as support for the “implementation of public awareness campaigns for eating disorders” given that they have “one of the highest fatality rates of any psychiatric illness.”
Eating disorders can have serious, or even fatal, consequences, but treatment and recovery are possible. Through research into treatments and interventions at the NIH’s National Institute on Maternal Health (NIMH), continued support for training for health care providers and families to recognize eating disorder symptoms, and increasing access to mental health services and support, the United States can better address this growing problem.
For support, please contact:
- ANAD Helpline: 1-888-375-7767
- National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline: 1-866-662-1235
- SAMSHA National Helpline: 1-800-622-4357