{"id":660830,"date":"2026-05-23T17:44:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T17:44:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/660830\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T17:44:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T17:44:15","slug":"menorexia-is-the-midlife-crisis-we-dont-talk-about-enough","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/660830\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Menorexia\u2019 Is The Midlife Crisis We Don\u2019t Talk About Enough"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s estimated that 28.8 million people in the United States<\/a> will be diagnosed with an eating disorder<\/a> at some point in their lifetime, and women remain at the highest risk.<\/p>\n

While we tend to associate disordered eating \u2015 anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorder \u2015 with adolescent women, it\u2019s not uncommon for women in midlife to develop, or experience an eating disorder relapse. (Around 50% of people relapse after eating disorder treatment, according to a 2019 study<\/a> out of the University of California, San Francisco.)<\/p>\n

Online, some have dubbed the tendency for menopausal (or perimenopausal<\/a>) women to develop eating disorders as \u201cmenorexia,\u201d<\/a> a play on the words menopause and anorexia.<\/p>\n

Unfortunately, adults who develop such disorders are underrepresented in both the research and within treatment settings, leaving a critical gap in understanding the true scope of the problem, said Samantha DeCaro, a psychologist, and the director of clinical outreach and education at the Renfrew Center<\/a>, a national eating disorder treatment center.<\/p>\n

\u201cMidlife adults meet the same diagnostic criteria as younger patients \u2015 struggling with symptoms such as restricting, bingeing or purging,\u201d said DeCaro, who also co-hosts the podcast \u201cAll Bodies. All Foods.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat sets them apart, however, are the unique life transitions that can trigger or exacerbate body dissatisfaction and disordered eating: menopause, divorce, an \u2018empty nest,\u2019 chronic illness, physical changes, and the challenges of aging in an ageist society,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Many people with eating disorders in midlife can trace their struggles back decades, DeCaro said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome report issues with food or body image since adolescence, only crossing into a clinical eating disorder later in life,\u201d she said. For others who\u2019ve been relatively happy with their bodies up until their 40s or 50s, it\u2019s a new, unsettling fixation.<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/p>\n

I actually think many midlife eating disorders go undetected because they don’t look like what we typically think an eating disorder \u2018should\u2019 look like.<\/p>\n

– Erin Parks, co-founder and chief clinical officer at\u00a0Equip,\u00a0a virtual eating disorder treatment platform<\/p>\n

Erin Parks, the co-founder and chief clinical officer at Equip<\/a>, a virtual eating disorder treatment platform for all ages, said that 25% percent of the site\u2019s adult patients fall into the midlife age category (ages 40-65).<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, the site did a survey<\/a> of over 1,000 adults aged 40 and older to gain a deeper understanding of the demographic. What Parks found most striking is that 35% of women reported developing disordered eating behaviors for the first time in midlife, meaning it was an entirely new onset.<\/p>\n

\u201cI actually think many midlife eating disorders go undetected because they don\u2019t look like what we typically think an eating disorder \u2018should\u2019 look like,\u201d she told HuffPost.<\/p>\n

\u201cBecause diet culture \u2015 the belief system that equates thinness with health \u2015 is so normalized, behaviors often masquerade as \u2018wellness,\u2019 like meal skipping, excessive exercise routines, or restrictive dieting [including the \u2018intermittent fasting\u2019<\/a> trend], which makes them easy to overlook.\u201d <\/p>\n

While women are disproportionately affected, men aren\u2019t immune, Park said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThirty-nine percent of men felt worse about their bodies as they aged, yet eating disorder symptoms in midlife men are even more likely to be overlooked or attributed to other causes,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

\"Men<\/p>\n

ozgurcankaya via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Men also experience their own challenges: Testosterone decreases by about 1% annually starting at age 25, then more rapidly in middle age, leading to increased belly fat, muscle loss and less energy.<\/p>\n

The hormonal shifts that happen during menopause and andropause play a huge role in triggering eating disorders later in life, Parks said. For women, estrogen levels drop by about 60% during menopause, while progesterone production stops almost entirely.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis creates a perfect storm of weight gain, mood swings, and feelings of losing control over their body,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

Men also experience their own challenges: Testosterone decreases by about 1% annually starting at age 25, then more rapidly in middle age, leading to increased belly fat, muscle loss and less energy, Parks said.<\/p>\n

Other times, eating disorders at midlife are spurred on by offhand comments made by medical doctors who are overly focused on weight loss as a solution to other medical conditions, such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension or elevated blood sugar.<\/p>\n

Lauren Muhlheim, a psychologist and owner at Eating Disorder Therapy LA<\/a> said that many of the midlife clients she sees are trying to solve or prevent a medical problem.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut dieting and exercise can drive an eating disorder, and there are other ways to address medical conditions other than weight loss,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

And it goes without saying that we live in a culture that glorifies not only thinness, but youthfulness \u2015 \u201ca double bind for people in midlife,\u201d DeCaro said. <\/p>\n

Ultimately, eating disorders aren\u2019t caused by one single factor.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey develop through a \u2018perfect storm\u2019 of risks that collide during vulnerable periods of life,\u201d she said. \u201cFor midlife adults, those stressors might include menopause, unwanted changes to appearance, chronic pain, grief and loss, or the sting of ageism.\u201d <\/p>\n

\""Culturally,“Culturally, we really need to shift the conversation from ‘managing’ aging bodies through the latest fad diet to supporting them with compassion through these natural life transitions,” Parks said.<\/p>\n

Some advice if you\u2019re concerned you may be developing an eating disorder in midlife:<\/p>\n

Eating disorders are not just about food or weight, DeCaro said \u2015 they\u2019re emotional disorders, too, and treatment goes far beyond what you consume.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe meaningful work in recovery often guides people back to themselves, helping them uncover their deepest desires, needs and values,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

While by no means a complete list, we asked DeCaro and our other experts to share some advice for people who are concerned they may be developing some form of an eating disorder.<\/p>\n

Recognize that it\u2019s normal for our bodies to change. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re hyperfixating on changes to your body, try to focus on all the things your body has allowed you to experience rather than how your body compares to your younger self or others, Muhlheim said. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s normal for our bodies to change with time, especially during hormonal transitions,\u201d she said. \u201cWhat\u2019s not healthy is to be obsessed about your body or what you are eating or shouldn\u2019t be eating. That takes up too much brain energy and keeps you from living your life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seek out specialized care. <\/p>\n

Eating disorders are serious, potentially fatal disorders that often require specialized care, DeCaro said. If you\u2019re struggling, seek an assessment so your provider can recommend a level of care that meets both your medical and emotional needs, she said. You might get help from a weight-inclusive eating disorder therapist or dietitian.<\/p>\n

Virtual treatment is particularly effective for midlife adults who require flexible care that accommodates work and family responsibilities.<\/p>\n

\"Eating<\/p>\n

Fiordaliso via Getty Images<\/p>\n

Eating disorders thrive in isolation, but connection with others going through it is a powerful tool in recovery, said Samantha DeCaro, a psychologist, and the director of clinical outreach and education at the Renfrew Center, a national eating disorder treatment center.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t deal with it alone. <\/p>\n

Eating disorders thrive in isolation, but connection with others going through it is a powerful tool in recovery, DeCaro said. <\/p>\n

Joining a virtual or in-person support group, listening to recovery stories on a podcast, or reading memoirs by people who have navigated midlife eating disorders can remind you that you\u2019re not alone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t listen to predatory diet culture messaging.<\/p>\n

Be cautious of diet culture messaging that targets midlife adults with promises of \u201creversing aging\u201d or \u201cgetting your body back,\u201d Parks said.<\/p>\n

\u201cUnfortunately, in our society, it\u2019s become relatively standard these days,\u201d she said. \u201cThese messages can be particularly triggering during vulnerable life transitions. Culturally, we really need to shift the conversation from \u2018managing\u2019 aging bodies through the latest fad diet to supporting them with compassion through these natural life transitions.\u201d <\/p>\n

The original version of this story was published on HuffPost at an earlier date.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"It\u2019s estimated that 28.8 million people in the United States will be diagnosed with an eating disorder at…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":660831,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[34426,97,24295,52623],"class_list":["post-660830","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-eating-disorders","tag-health","tag-menopause","tag-midlife-crisis"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660830","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=660830"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/660830\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/660831"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=660830"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=660830"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=660830"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}