New research shows that people with eating disorders are more harshly judged than those suffering from depression, making it much harder for them to seek treatment.
That's the finding from a new University of South Australia study involving 235 people from the general population comparing attitudes towards binge eating, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and depression.
The study, published in the Journal of Eating Disorders, demonstrates the social stigma surrounding eating disorders, particularly binge eating, which was perceived as the most trivial.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups and asked to fill out a questionnaire that measured levels of stigma associated with their allocated psychological condition.
Despite one million Australians experiencing an eating disorder, and binge eating accounting for almost half of this number, there is a strong social stigma attached to these conditions, according to lead author Carlye Aird, who was a UniSA Honours student at the time of the study
"Our findings show that people with eating disorders face significant social stigma, which can make it even harder for them to seek help," Carlye says.
"Misconceptions that these disorders are self-inflicted or not serious enough to warrant medical attention are incredibly harmful."
While all three eating disorders were stigmatised more than depression, binge eating was linked to weight-related stereotypes and more harshly perceived.
Eating disorders (ED) are growing at an alarming rate among young Australians especially, as demonstrated by a 62% increase in ED presentations among children and adolescents between 2018 and 2020.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) has the highest mortality rate of all psychological disorders, affecting around 30,000 Australians, while approximately 120,000 Australians have bulimia nervosa (BM), according to the National Eating Disorders Collaboration.
The researchers argue that increasing public education and awareness is crucial to reducing stigma and ensuring that individuals with eating disorders receive the support they need.
"We need to shift the conversation around eating disorders and challenge the myths that they are simply a lifestyle choice or a sign of personal weakness," co-author Dr Stephanie Webb says.
"By reducing the stigma, it will encourage people with eating disorders to seek professional help earlier and improve the outcomes, ultimately saving lives in some cases."
"Comparing social stigma of anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder: A quantitative experimental study" is authored by Carlye Aird, Bennett Reisinger, Dr Stephanie Webb and Professor David Gleaves DOI: 10.1186/s40337-025-01198-x
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