Intermittent Fasting and Disordered Eating

Do we see higher rates of ED symptomatology in those who practice intermittent fasting (IF)? New research suggests yes. A combined total of over 60% (!) of participants noted that weight loss or fat loss was their top reason for engaging in IF, which IMO is very telling. Note that we cannot establish a causal relationship due to the nature of the study (a survey) - that is, we cannot say that intermittent fasting causes ED symptoms. But there are three primary possible explanations: 1️⃣those already engaging in disordered eating behaviors or more prone to developing disordered eating/ED symptoms are more likely to adopt IF; 2️⃣IF triggers/exacerbates ED symptoms; or 3️⃣some other variable is at play. My guess is a combination of 1 and 2, but that needs to be further investigated. As I say time and time again, the best diet is going to be different from one person to the next. IF may work great for you, while for others, you may find yourself feeling more anxious about and obsessed with food and overall feeling worse. I don’t think we can definitely conclude “IF is bad for everyone!” from this type of research as I don’t believe IF is inherently dangerous. Still, I think it’s worth taking a beat to ensure that any kind of diet that places rigid restrictions is not worsening your relationship with food or overall mental health. #IntermittentFasting