Intermittent fasting—the practice of limiting eating to certain hours of the day—may be associated with eating disorder behaviors in adolescents and young adults, a study in Eating Behaviors has found.
Medical professionals should screen for intermittent fasting, says Kyle Ganson, Ph.D., M.S.W.
“Public attention on intermittent fasting is only going to keep growing, so we need to continue to research the dietary practice holistically, not just how it may be beneficial, but also how it may be problematic,” lead author Kyle Ganson Ph.D., M.S.W., told Psychiatric News. He is an assistant professor at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. “We also need to continue to bring greater knowledge to [health professionals] on intermittent fasting to ensure proper guidance and oversight for patients.”
Ganson and colleagues analyzed data from 2,762 people between the ages of 16 and 30 years who participated in the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors. The participants answered questions about whether they engaged in intermittent fasting over the past 12 months or past 30 days, and if so, how often. The researchers used the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) 6.0 Global Score to assess the participants for eating disorder behaviors such as overeating, binge eating, vomiting, laxative use, compulsive exercise, and fasting.
Overall, 47.7% of women, 38.4% of men, and 52% of transgender/gender nonconforming participants engaged in intermittent fasting in the past 12 months and 24.6% of women, 17.8% of men, and 24.1% of transgender/nonconforming participants engaged in intermittent fasting in the past 30 days.
“Engagement in intermittent fasting is much more common than many might believe among a vulnerable age group—adolescents and young adults—where the codification of health behaviors largely occurs,” Ganson said. “It is important that medical professionals screen for intermittent fasting and are cautious about recommending intermittent fasting, particularly to young people.”
Intermittent fasting in the past 12 months was associated with the following:
All eating disorder behaviors (overeating, binge eating, vomiting, laxative use, compulsive exercise, and fasting) and higher EDE-Q global scores in women.
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Compulsive exercise, fasting, and higher EDE-Q scores in men.
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Fasting and higher EDE-Q scores in transgender/gender nonconforming people.
The study is a reminder that eating disorders and their related behaviors cut across all genders, says Jason Nagata, M.D., M.Sc.
Intermittent fasting in the past 30 days was associated with the following:
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All eating disorder behaviors and higher EDE-Q global scores in women.
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Compulsive exercise, fasting, vomiting, and higher EDE-Q scores in men.
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Higher EDE-Q scores in transgender/gender nonconforming people.
According to coauthor Jason Nagata, M.D., M.Sc., an assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, the results speak to the heterogeneity of eating disorders and their related behaviors.
“Eating disorders can affect people of all genders, races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, ages, and sizes. You cannot tell that someone has an eating disorder based on appearance alone,” Nagata said.
Ganson noted the visibility of intermittent fasting in both popular culture and research.
“We often see ads for intermittent fasting apps on social media, influencers promoting it, and some research promoting it as a mechanism for weight loss, disease prevention, and increasing longevity,” Ganson said. “It is important to begin to change the popular conversation around intermittent fasting [and acknowledge] that it is not a benign dietary practice and can instead be connected to problematic behaviors.” ■
