The impact of climate change on eating disorders: An urgent call for research

Abstract

Climate change affects many of the documented risk factors for eating disorders (EDs) through direct and indirect pathways, yet to date the research in this area is nonexistent. Our aim is to identify the specific mechanisms through which climate change might be associated with increased risk for EDs, an exacerbation in symptoms, or poor clinical outcomes; highlight limited empirical data addressing these issues; and propose directions for a research program in this important area. Pathways for the impact of climate change on eating disorders and related data were reviewed. Four main pathways for the effects of climate change on EDs were identified including (1) decreased food access and security; (2) changes in mean temperature; (3) concerns related to food safety and eco-anxiety; and (4) indirect pathways through trauma, adversity, and increased mental health concerns. Except for the relationship between increased food insecurity and EDs, these pathways remain largely uninvestigated. Numerous factors may be implicated in the relationship between climate change and EDs. Future work in this area is imperative and should be conducted through a social justice lens with particular attention paid to the global areas most impacted by climate change and related vulnerabilities. Climate change will likely have adverse impacts on individuals with eating disorders and increase the risk for eating disorders. This paper reviews the different ways in which climate change may have these effects and calls for researchers to pay attention to this important area.

Eco-anxiety: an additional burden for university students?

“…To our knowledge, this association between burnout and eco-anxiety has never been highlighted in the literature and is relevant because it can impair students' academic engagement due to the continuous tension they feel, and as a state of existential loss of meaning in their work [ 30 ]. We see also an increase in the risk of eating disorders with the increase in ecoanxiety, probably due more to the impact on mental health than to decreased food access and security countries suffer directly from global warming [ 31 ]. We also highlighted that eco-anxiety could be constructive and associated with positive attitudes toward the environment and PEB as described in a longitudinal cohort of adolescents [ 32 ].…”

Intersecting Crises: Exploring the Impact of Climate Change on the Burgeoning Burden of Non-Communicable Diseases

“…People living in regions that are more prone to climate-related disasters (e.g., coastal areas, drought-prone regions) also face a higher risk of mental health impacts. Interestingly, increasing awareness of climate change and its potential catastrophic consequences can lead to eco-anxiety and climate grief, characterized by chronic fear and mourning over environmental losses and future implications [38].…”