Eating disorders occur across the weight
spectrum, yet people in larger bodies often face distinct barriers to
recognition and care. Those at higher weight often report that ED symptoms are
overlooked or attributed to weight alone in clinical encounters, which can
perpetuate disordered eating and deter help-seeking (Harrop et al., 2023; Kozmér et al., 2026).
Although binge eating disorder is particularly prevalent among higher-weight
individuals, and this group may present with greater shape and weight concerns
and more severe distress than lower-weight peers, they are less likely to be
referred for specialist treatment (Field et al., 2024).
Evidence from primary care records indicates that referral to ED services is
more likely for underweight individuals across diagnoses, particularly for
anorexia nervosa, despite ICD-11 criteria allowing diagnosis across weight
presentations (Gao et al., 2026 in preparation). Together, these findings
indicate that higher body weight can contribute to the under-recognition and
undertreatment of eating disorders. Informed by lived experience, this
animation from the EDIFY programme and the animation company Woven Ink builds
awareness of the experiences of people with eating disorders at higher weights
and affirms that everyone deserves understanding, support, and care.
Quotes from
the film
People just
don’t seem to realise that bigger people can struggle with eating disorders
too… and that we might also need support. I don’t want to just be seen as “fat”
– I want to be seen as a whole person.
If someone in
a larger body goes, “I'm struggling with my relationship to food” – it should
raise a concern - because it would if someone of a lower weight said that.
References
Gao., C., Wilkins, J., Dregan, A., Allen,
K.L., Scuffell, J. & Schmidt, U. (2026) Weight status and pathways to
eating disorder referralfrom primary care settings in the United Kingdom: A clinical
practice research datalink study. (Manuscript in preparation).
Field, A.
E., Ziobrowski, H. N., Eddy, K. T., Sonneville, K. R., & Richmond, T. K.
(2024). Who gets treated for an eating disorder? Implications for inference
based on clinical populations. BMC Public
Health, 24(1), 1758. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-19283-2
Harrop, E. N., Hutcheson, R., Harner, V., Mensinger,
J. L., & Lindhorst, T. (2023). "You Don't Look Anorexic":
Atypical anorexia patient experiences of weight stigma in medical care. Body Image, 46, 48-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2023.04.008
Kozmér, S., O'Rouke, C., Lawrence, N. S., Smith, J.
R., & van Beurden, S. B. (2026). Identification and Management of
Binge-Eating Disorder and Bulimia Nervosa in Primary Care Settings: A
Qualitative Systematic Review of Healthcare Professionals' and Patients'
Perceptions. Int J Eat Disord, 59(1), 16-34. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24568
