Intermittent Fasting and Eating Disorders: What to Know

Last Updated on August 21, 2026

Intermittent fasting is often discussed as a weight-loss tool, but it is also, by definition, a form of dietary restriction, deciding not to eat for set periods. For most people that is fine. For anyone living with, recovering from, or vulnerable to an eating disorder, it can be genuinely risky. This article looks honestly at the relationship between intermittent fasting and eating disorders: what the research shows, the warning signs, who should avoid fasting, and where to get help. If you are currently struggling with an eating disorder, please skip intermittent fasting and speak to a healthcare professional or an eating disorder organization. Support details are at the end of this article.

Is intermittent fasting a form of disordered eating?

Not inherently. For someone with a healthy relationship with food, eating within a time window is simply a schedule. But the line between a structured eating pattern and disordered eating can be thin, because both involve restriction. The concern is that fasting can provide a socially accepted cover for skipping meals, undereating, or an escalating fear of food, and can make disordered patterns harder to notice.

Can intermittent fasting cause or worsen an eating disorder?

Two things are well established. First, dieting and dietary restriction are among the most consistently identified risk factors for developing an eating disorder, especially in people who are already vulnerable (risk-factor review, 2022). Second, research looking specifically at intermittent fasting has found it is associated with eating disorder attitudes and behaviors. In a study of nearly 2,800 adolescents and young adults, intermittent fasting was linked with higher eating disorder psychopathology across groups, and among women specifically with behaviors including binge eating, vomiting, laxative use, and compulsive exercise (Ganson et al., 2022). This does not mean fasting causes eating disorders in everyone, most people who fast do not develop one. But for those who are predisposed, it can trigger or intensify a disordered relationship with food, and it can be a symptom of one that already exists.

Warning signs that fasting has become disordered

Fasting may be tipping into disordered eating if you notice:

• using fasting as an excuse or justification not to eat
• severely restricting calories during your eating window, not just your fasting window
• intense guilt, anxiety, or distress if you break a fast “early”
• an extreme fear of gaining weight, or weight loss starting to feel compulsive
• making yourself sick, or over-exercising to “compensate” for eating
• fasting taking over your thoughts, mood, and social life

If any of these sound familiar, please treat it seriously and reach out for support, this is not something to push through alone.

Who should not try intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is not appropriate for everyone. You should avoid it (or only consider it with professional guidance) if you:

• have, or have a history of, an eating disorder or disordered eating
• are an adolescent or child
• are pregnant or breastfeeding
• are underweight
• have diabetes or another condition affected by meal timing, or take medication that requires food

Understanding eating disorders

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions, not lifestyle choices or a lack of willpower, and they can be life-threatening. They arise from a mix of factors, including genetics and family history, psychological traits such as perfectionism or low self-esteem, trauma, cultural pressure around body image, and dieting itself. Because the causes are complex, recovery almost always needs professional support rather than self-management.

Gentler alternatives to restriction

If your goal is a healthier, calmer relationship with food rather than another set of rules, non-restrictive approaches are usually a better starting point than fasting. It may help to read about mindful eating, intuitive eating, and learning to listen to your body, all of which focus on your internal hunger and fullness cues instead of strict restriction. If you later explore fasting with a clean bill of health, our overview of what intermittent fasting is covers it in context.

Where to get help

If you or someone you know may be struggling, help is available and recovery is possible. Talk to your doctor, and reach out to a national eating disorder organization:

• United States: National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)
• United Kingdom: Beat

If you are in immediate danger or crisis, contact your local emergency services.

Frequently asked questions

Can intermittent fasting cause an eating disorder?

It does not cause one in most people, but dietary restriction is a known risk factor, and research links intermittent fasting with eating disorder attitudes and behaviors, especially in young people and women. In someone who is vulnerable, it can trigger or worsen a disordered relationship with food.

Is intermittent fasting a form of disordered eating?

Not by itself. For someone with a healthy relationship with food it is simply an eating schedule. It becomes a concern when it is used to justify undereating, causes guilt or fear around food, or feels compulsive.

Who should avoid intermittent fasting?

Anyone with a current or past eating disorder, adolescents and children, people who are pregnant, breastfeeding, or underweight, and those with medical conditions affected by meal timing should avoid fasting or only consider it with professional guidance.

I think fasting has become unhealthy for me. What should I do?

Stop and reach out for support. Speak to a doctor and contact an eating disorder organization such as NEDA (US) or Beat (UK). Disordered eating is treatable, and getting help early makes recovery easier.

References

1. Ganson KT, Cuccolo K, Hallward L, Nagata JM. Intermittent fasting: describing engagement and associations with eating disorder behaviors and psychopathology among Canadian adolescents and young adults. Eating Behaviors. 2022;47:101681. View study
2. Barakat S, McLean SA, Bryant E, et al. Risk factors for eating disorders: findings from a rapid review. Journal of Eating Disorders. 2023;11:8. View study

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This article is for general information only and is not medical advice or a substitute for professional care. If you are struggling with your relationship with food, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.