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Eating disorders in young people -

When it comes to eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, most people associate them with young adults.

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Common belief -

Indeed, even people who have experienced an eating disorder first-hand tend to believe that they are the reserve of teenagers and people in their early 20s.

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Challenging assumptions -

However, there is a growing body of evidence that suggests later-in-life eating disorders may be much more common than we might think.

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Eating disorders and the menopause -

In particular, scientists are beginning to explore the connection between menopause and eating disorders in women.

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Growing body of knowledge -

Historically this has been a woefully understudied topic, but in 2025 that is slowly beginning to change.

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Truth in what people believe -

The notion that eating disorders are a young woman’s affliction is, to a certain extent, true.

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Biological changes during puberty -

In their teens and early 20s, women experience major biological changes. Their hormones are all over the place, and the body undergoes major physical changes.

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Psychological shifts -

During this period, women also tend to experience significant psychological shifts, for example, related to their sense of identity, as well as considerable external pressure.

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Combination of factors -

While it is impossible to pinpoint a single reason that a young woman may develop an eating disorder, a combination of all these factors may increase her risk.

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Parallel changes during menopause -

To a large extent, the changes that women go through during puberty are mirrored during menopause.

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Significant upheaval -

Instead of getting their periods, women get hot flashes. It is a time of significant biological change and upheaval.

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Even greater risk -

Arguably, women in their 40s and 50s have to deal with more external pressures than their younger selves, which could even put them at greater risk of developing an eating disorder.

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More external pressures -

For example, many women going through perimenopause or menopause have to care for children or aging parents.

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Added complication - It is also during this period that many women start, unfortunately, to experience age discrimination in the workplace.

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The role of social media -

Add the pressure from social media into the mix, and menopause becomes a transition that is even trickier to navigate.

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Disparity in the availability of data -

While there is a wealth of data that informs the treatment of eating disorders among girls going through puberty, the corresponding data for women going through menopause is almost non-existent.

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Recent development -

Indeed, it is only in the past few months and years that medical professionals have started to pay attention to this problem.

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Expert opinion -

In 2005, psychologist and author Margo Maine wrote her first book on the topic of midlife eating disorders.

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Minimal progress in 20 years -

In 2025, she told Women’s Health, the available data is basically the same. There may be more awareness, but nothing is really changing.

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More data and insights needed -

With more data and insights, experts would be able to offer eating disorder treatments that are better tailored to women going through perimenopause and menopause.

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Adopting a tailored approach -

It is very important to adopt a tailored approach, because treatment can be a lot more complicated for women in their 40s and 50s than for girls in their teens.

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Inpatient treatment more complicated -

For instance, it can be much more difficult to take time out of a daily routine to attend an inpatient treatment facility.

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The role of outpatient programs -

Experts believe that one way forward would be to offer better outpatient programs for mature women with eating disorders.

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The status quo -

As it stands, many outpatient groups are filled with younger women, and it can be difficult for older women to benefit from this environment.

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Renfew Center -

One eating disorder treatment center that is making this change is the Renfew Center, which has 19 locations across the United States.

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Specific group therapy -

Renfew offers group therapy for older adults, where women can discuss the experience of living with an eating disorder later in life.

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Awareness among professionals -

If there is going to be meaningful change, there also needs to be better awareness among medical professionals.

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As it currently stands -

As it stands, many doctors miss the signs of eating disorders that are triggered by menopause, which can result in patients slipping through the cracks.

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Social awareness -

Finally, it is important that we continue to raise awareness at a social level and shine a light on a topic that has for so long been ignored.

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Recognizing the signs -

By recognizing the signs in yourself or in a loved one, you can help locate the proper treatment and get on the path toward recovery.

Sources: (Women's Health) (Independent)

See also: What is menopause brain fog?

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