The Link Between Food Scarcity and Eating Disorders

"The rising cost of living continues to strain many households, and interruptions to food assistance programs during the temporary government shutdown added new stress for those already trying to stay afloat. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 2023, about 13.5 percent of U.S. households, including 7.2 million children, experienced food insecurity. This is an increase over the previous year's figures, highlighting how quickly families can slip into hardship when basic needs become unstable."

"Food insecurity is often described as a financial issue, but its impact reaches far deeper. When people are unsure whether they will have enough to eat, their relationship with food and with their bodies can shift in meaningful ways. This uncertainty can influence emotional responses, physical cues, and the way a person understands hunger and safety, all of which can increase vulnerability to eating disorders."

"When food becomes unpredictable, the body's stress system heightens. Hunger may feel sharper, food may become more attention-grabbing, and eating can feel urgent once food is available. These responses reflect the body's attempt to protect against deprivation and can resemble patterns seen in binge eating disorder (Hazzard et al., 2020). Hunger stops feeling like a simple cue and becomes tied to anxiety or the sense of needing to act quickly."

The rising cost of living and interruptions to food assistance increased food insecurity, with about 13.5 percent of U.S. households, including 7.2 million children, experiencing food insecurity in 2023. Food insecurity extends beyond finances to alter relationships with food and bodies. Uncertainty about access to food heightens stress responses, making hunger feel sharper, more urgent, and more attention-grabbing, resembling binge eating patterns. Scarcity also promotes restraint through rationing or skipping meals to conserve food for others. Emotional strain, shame, and altered physical cues from scarcity can create lasting patterns that increase vulnerability to eating disorders.

Read at Psychology Today