The Link Between Food Insecurity and Eating Disorders & Its Implications for Treatment

Growing evidence consistently indicates a link between food insecurity and risk for the development of eating disorders. Moreover, patients with eating disorders experiencing food insecurity face unique challenges in the treatment process. In this webinar, research examining the link between food insecurity and eating disorder risk will be presented, drawing upon data from a nationally representative U.S. sample, a longitudinal cohort study, and a study examining the role of short-term fluctuations in food availability among young adults experiencing food insecurity. The clinical implications of this research for dietitians working in eating disorders treatment will be discussed in depth.

Learning Objectives:

Following this presentation, participants will be able to:

1. Summarize the empirical evidence regarding the link between food insecurity and eating disorders.
2. Understand why food insecurity might increase risk for eating disorders.
3. Recognize how both past and current food insecurity may impact eating disorders treatment.
4. Implement food insecurity screening in their clinical practice and provide referrals for food assistance resources when relevant.

Vivienne Hazzard Bio:

Dr. Vivienne Hazzard (she/her) is a registered dietitian with a PhD and MPH in nutrition from the University of Michigan School of Public Health. She is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Minnesota in the NIMH-funded Midwest Regional Training Program in Eating Disorders Research. The overarching goal of her research is to prevent disordered eating and eating disorders, particularly among socially and economically marginalized populations. A key line of her work focuses on the role food insecurity plays in the development of disordered eating and eating disorders.