Anxiety and Eating Disorders: Can One Condition Lead to Another?

Three people looking anxious eating food - eating disorders
Credit: Duane Beckett

Anxiety disorders can be a precursor to unhealthy eating habits, leading to eating disorders. Based on research and the facts shared in this article, the answer to the question “Can anxiety cause eating disorders?” is yes.

In my experience, anxiety and eating have always been connected. Social anxiety caused me to binge eat, while my sister, who also struggled with anxiety, barely ate at all. These experiences highlight how anxiety can influence eating behaviors in very different ways.

Understanding the connection between anxiety and eating disorders is key to breaking harmful patterns. Keep reading to learn how anxiety changes eating habits, the role of personality traits, and how friends and family can help.

Important: To ensure facts are accurate, this article has been reviewed by a medical practitioner.

How Are Anxiety and Eating Problems Connected?

“Anxiety and eating disorders often go hand-in-hand, with anxiety acting as both a precursor and a reinforcement of unhealthy eating patterns. Emotional eating, perfectionism, and the brain’s altered reward systems can trap individuals in a harmful cycle that’s difficult to break without intervention. Early recognition, understanding the connection between mental health and eating habits, and providing supportive environments are key to recovery. By addressing both anxiety and disordered eating behaviours together, we can offer individuals the chance to regain control of their health and well-being.”Dr. M. Ahmed, University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust

When I look back, I realize how much anxiety and eating have been intertwined in my life. Most of us go through difficult experiences as kids, and for me, food became part of my response to those challenges. 

As I got older, my binge eating response was a way to cope with social anxiety. I remember the intense need to get home after a stressful situation, only for it to spiral into eating a flurry of unhealthy foods. It’s only in recent years, after being diagnosed with other health issues, that I’ve managed to get some control over my eating habits. But even now, there are moments where old patterns creep in. 

I’m not alone in my experience and it reflects a pattern that is all too common in people with anxiety disorders. Approximately 65% of people with eating disorders also meet the criteria for at least one anxiety disorder. Anxiety doesn’t just coexist with eating disorders, it often starts first. Studies indicate that anxiety develops before disordered eating behaviors 47 to 94 percent of the time, and it frequently continues even after someone is in recovery from their eating disorder.

This connection suggests that anxiety isn’t just a symptom, it is a risk factor.

Related: How to Support Someone with Anxiety Disorder – 7 Essential Tips for Care and Understanding

Can Anxiety Make Eating Problems Worse?

As I mentioned earlier, social anxiety played a major role in driving my binge eating. On the other hand, I’ve seen how anxiety can push people in the opposite direction. My sister, who also suffered from anxiety, barely ate during her toughest moments. These two extremes, show how anxiety can impact eating habits in different ways.

Research shows that anxiety can make people use food to cope, but this looks different for everyone. Some people overeat or binge eat, while others eat very little or focus too much on weight and control. These habits can quickly turn into unhealthy behaviors and ultimately end in an eating disorder.

One common way anxiety affects eating is through emotional eating. People often eat foods that are high in calories and very tasty because it makes them feel better for a little while. But this can create a bad cycle where food becomes the main way to deal with emotions.

Anxiety can also cause people to become perfectionists. Perfectionism and obsessive thoughts are often linked to anorexia nervosa. People with this mindset may try to control their feelings of anxiety by controlling food and weight, even if it harms their health.

From the studies reviewed (and linked from within this article), emotional eating, caused by anxiety, can get worse if it is not dealt with. People who try to control their anxious thoughts by focusing on food or weight are also at a higher risk of having long-term eating problems.

Related: The Journey with Anxiety – How Long Do Anxiety Disorders Last?

How Anxiety Changes the Way We Eat

In my experience, anxiety has a powerful effect on eating habits and research explains why this happens. Anxiety makes people more sensitive to food cues, especially foods that are rich, tasty, and high in calories. This means that when someone feels anxious, they are more likely to crave foods that provide a quick sense of comfort or pleasure.

Anxiety also changes the brain’s reward system. Especially in the mesolimbic dopamine pathways, which are linked to how we feel pleasure and reward. These changes can make cravings stronger and lead to eating behaviors that feel out of control.

When anxiety influences both cravings and how the brain reacts to food, it’s a recipe for disaster and becomes very hard to break free from. I’ve experienced turning to food for comfort firsthand. And sadly, when combined with the changes in anxiety-impacted brains, the cycle can last years (in my experience and based on the research).

Related: Understanding the Genetic Link – Is Anxiety Disorder Passed Down in Families?

Do Personality Traits Make Things Worse?

Personality traits can make the connection between anxiety disorders and eating disorders worse. Research shows that traits like neuroticism, impulsivity, perfectionism, and harm avoidance increase the chances of unhealthy eating behaviors. 

For example, perfectionism and harm avoidance can push people toward restrictive eating behaviors. According to research, controlling food intake may appear like a way to manage anxious thoughts, but it often causes more harm in the long run. Impulsivity, on the other hand, is linked to bingeing or purging, where people struggle to resist cravings or sudden urges caused by emotional distress.

Another common trait, avoidance motivation, makes things worse too. People who avoid dealing with stress are more likely to turn to food as a way to escape their feelings. This can lead to emotional eating, bingeing, or other unhealthy habits that provide short-term relief and long-term problems.

These personality traits and their interaction with anxiety make disordered eating behaviors more likely. 

Related: The Best and Worst Things to Say to Someone with an Anxiety Disorder

How Friends and Family Can Help

Over the years, I had a lot of support from friends and family. But when it came to my eating habits, no one ever questioned them. They simply accepted it as part of my anxiety disorders. Looking back, I believe getting professional help earlier would have made a difference. 

Here’s the reality, research shows that having close friends or family can lower stress and anxiety, which reduces the chance of developing disordered eating. Family and peer support also protect against unhealthy eating habits

On the flip side, being alone or feeling isolated can make things worse. People with eating disorders often feel lonelier and have less support than others. The feeling of isolation can increase anxiety and lead to more harmful eating habits.

A strong support system is key to helping someone manage anxiety and eating behaviors. Whether it comes from family, friends, or professionals, getting help early can make all the difference.