Eating Disorder Risk Higher in Disadvantaged Adolescents

EATING disorders may be more common among adolescents from disadvantaged families, according to new research. The systematic review of 51 studies found that adolescents whose parents had lower levels of education were more likely to experience eating disorder symptoms, while lower household income was also linked to increased risk, challenging longstanding perceptions that they predominantly affect affluent young people Socioeconomic Status and Eating Disorders Researchers examined the relationship between parental socioeconomic status and eating disorder symptoms among adolescents in the general population. The systematic review included 51 studies published since 2000, identified from more than 56,000 records. Researchers considered several measures of socioeconomic status, including parental education, household income, occupation, financial difficulties, and neighbourhood deprivation. Parental education was the most commonly studied measure, appearing in more than half of the included studies. The meta-analysis found that adolescents whose parents had higher levels of education had a 17% lower likelihood of experiencing eating disorder symptoms compared with those whose parents had lower educational attainment. Lower household income was also generally associated with more eating disorder symptoms, with this relationship particularly evident for binge-eating behaviours. However, findings for other indicators of socioeconomic status, including measures combining several socioeconomic factors, were inconsistent. Challenging Eating Disorder Stereotypes Eating disorders have historically been stereotyped as conditions predominantly affecting people from affluent backgrounds. However, the researchers said the findings add to evidence that eating disorders occur across socioeconomic groups and suggest that adolescents experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage may face greater risk. Potential factors connecting socioeconomic disadvantage with disordered eating include food insecurity and chronic stress, although the review did not directly investigate the mechanisms underlying the association. The authors highlighted that socioeconomic disparities may also affect whether young people receive appropriate support, with those from lower-income backgrounds potentially facing greater barriers to healthcare. The researchers called for targeted prevention and intervention efforts that consider socioeconomic inequalities, alongside better measures of socioeconomic status in future studies. The findings suggest that challenging assumptions about who develops an eating disorder could be important for improving recognition and access to treatment among vulnerable adolescents. Reference Steinstad L et al. Research update: a systematic review of the relationship between eating disorder symptoms and parental socioeconomic status (SES) among adolescents. Int J Eat Disord. 2026. Featured image: motortion on AdobeStock