Midlife eating disorders are rising and often missed

By AI, Created 5:46 PM UTC, May 27, 2026, /AGP/ – Eating disorders are increasing among adults over 40, but many cases are overlooked in primary care and mental health settings. Omnia Recovery says the gap is dangerous because midlife patients face higher medical risks and can still recover with the right treatment.

Why it matters: - Eating disorders in adults over 40 are becoming one of the fastest-rising groups affected by anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder and OSFED. - Midlife cases are often missed by primary care providers, OB-GYNs, internists and mental health clinicians. - Delayed treatment raises the risk of bone loss, heart complications, cognitive decline, gastrointestinal damage and worsening depression, anxiety and substance use. - Omnia Recovery says recovery remains possible at any age, and midlife patients can respond well to evidence-based treatment.

What happened: - Omnia Recovery highlighted the rise in midlife eating disorders and the ways clinicians can miss them. - The Los Angeles-area treatment provider said adults in their 40s, 50s and 60s are increasingly affected. - Nicole Branch, a registered dietitian on Omnia Recovery’s clinical team in Thousand Oaks, California, said midlife can create a “perfect storm” for an eating disorder to emerge or return. - Branch said providers, partners and adult children should watch for rigidity around food, compulsive or excessive exercise, rapid weight changes and social withdrawal.

The details: - Recent research suggests more than 1 in 10 women over 50 experience symptoms of an eating disorder. - One survey found 35% of women developed disordered eating behaviors for the first time between ages 36 and 65. - Nearly three out of four midlife women report body dissatisfaction, a key risk factor for onset and relapse. - Men are also affected, with cases often showing up as compulsive exercise, orthorexia or binge eating. - Symptoms are frequently misread as perimenopause, stress, “healthy aging,” GLP-1 weight-loss medication effects, grief, an empty nest, parental death or a busy life. - Clinicians trained to look for a visibly underweight adolescent female may miss eating disorders in a 52-year-old executive, a postmenopausal grandmother or a man in andropause. - Weight-centric assessments can miss patients in larger or “normal-range” bodies. - Fatigue, gastrointestinal distress, hair thinning, sleep disruption and mood changes are often blamed on hormones instead of malnutrition or binge-purge cycles. - Restriction and excessive exercise are often praised as wellness or anti-aging, which can hide disordered behavior. - Co-occurring depression, anxiety, resurfacing trauma and alcohol misuse are often treated separately instead of as part of the full clinical picture. - Branch said hormonal shifts during perimenopause and menopause can affect mood, appetite, body composition, fat distribution, sleep and self-image. - Branch said food and exercise can become coping tools during divorce, caregiving, grief, career pressure and when children leave home. - Omnia Recovery offers Partial Hospitalization, Intensive Outpatient, Telehealth and Outpatient care to midlife clients across Ventura County and the greater Los Angeles area.

Between the lines: - Midlife eating disorders are often hidden by cultural expectations that adults should “have it together.” - The stigma is different from adolescent eating disorders, so patients may delay disclosure until the illness is more entrenched. - The article argues that “healthy” behaviors can mask pathology in adults, especially when weight is not obviously low. - The strongest treatment signal is integrated care that addresses eating disorders alongside depression, anxiety, trauma, ADHD and substance use.

What’s next: - Omnia Recovery is urging providers, partners and family members to look for warning signs earlier. - The clinical team says treatment should account for adult realities such as careers, caregiving, relationships, hormonal change and identity transitions. - Branch said people should not wait for a medical crisis before seeking help. - Omnia Recovery says adults can reclaim health, relationships, confidence and joy with the right support.

The bottom line: - Eating disorders are not just a young person’s illness, and midlife is a high-risk stage that health systems still miss.