Despite affecting one in five women and one in seven men across America, eating disorders remain significantly underdiagnosed and untreated among racial and ethnic minorities. Research indicates these communities experience eating disorders at rates similar to or even higher than White Americans, yet they face substantial obstacles in receiving proper diagnosis and care.
Cultural stigma surrounding mental health creates a primary barrier, making individuals reluctant to seek help. The diagnostic criteria themselves contain inherent biases that may not account for how eating disorders manifest across different cultural contexts. Geographic and financial barriers compound the problem, as many minority communities lack adequate access to specialized eating disorder treatment facilities and comprehensive insurance coverage.
Healthcare provider bias represents another critical obstacle. Many clinicians may not recognize eating disorder symptoms in minority patients or may hold misconceptions about who develops these conditions. This oversight leaves countless individuals struggling without proper support or treatment.
The research community has also contributed to these disparities through the consistent underrepresentation of racial and ethnic minorities in eating disorder studies. This gap perpetuates existing inequities and prevents comprehensive understanding of how these conditions affect diverse populations.
Addressing these disparities requires multifaceted solutions including culturally relevant diagnostic tools, expanded insurance coverage, improved geographic accessibility to treatment centers, and enhanced cultural competence among healthcare providers. Critically, eating disorder research must prioritize including diverse populations to ensure treatments prove effective and accessible for all communities affected by these serious conditions.
See: “Barriers Individuals From Racial-Ethnic Minority Groups Face in Accessing Eating Disorder Treatment and Proposed Solutions” (January 8, 2026)