How eating disorders can affect the body for years

Eating disorders don’t simply fade once treatment begins. While the emotional toll is often acknowledged, the physical consequences run much deeper and can linger for years.

Many assume the risks diminish with recovery, but the body holds on to those effects long after the disorder appears to be under control.

The rise in cases since the pandemic caught many families off guard. More people reached out for help, yet the long term medical picture has stayed blurry for the general public.

This study clears some of that fog and shows just how wide the impact can be.

Health risks linked to eating disorders

The study was pieced together by researchers who went through medical records from across England. They looked at people over a span of ten years, using anonymized information from two national databases.

In total, they followed 24,709 people between 10 and 44 who had an eating disorder and compared them to almost half a million others who matched their age, sex, and doctor’s practice.

Most of the people in the eating disorder group were female. The data showed that 14.5 percent had anorexia, 20.5 percent had bulimia, 5 percent had binge eating disorder, and 60 percent had an unspecified eating disorder.

In the first year after diagnosis, people with eating disorders were 6 times more likely to be diagnosed with renal failure and nearly 7 times more likely to be diagnosed with liver disease.

They also faced significantly higher risks of osteoporosis at 6 times as high, heart failure at twice as high, and diabetes at 3 times as high.

Five years later, the risks of renal failure and liver disease were still 2.5 to nearly 4 times higher, with 110 and 26 more cases than expected per 10,000 people at 10 years.

Mental health risks

Mental health shifts were just as striking. The risks of depression were 7 times higher in the first year, with 596 additional cases per 10,000 people.

The risks of self-harm were more than 9 times as high, with an extra 309 cases per 10,000 people. These risks eased but did not disappear after five years.

Increased risk of mortality

The risk of death from any cause within the first 12 months was more than 4 times as high. For unnatural deaths, including suicide, it was 5 times as high.

After 5 years, these risks were still 2 and 3 times higher, equal to 43 extra deaths per 10,000 from all causes and 184 per 100,000 from unnatural causes.

Ten years after diagnosis, the additional deaths reached 95 per 10,000 people and 341 per 100,000.

The risk of suicide was nearly 14 times higher in the first year and nearly 3 times higher after 10 years, responsible for 169 additional deaths per 100,000 people.

Why this matters for everyday care

The researchers noted that the medical records didn’t show how severe each person’s disorder was.

“Our data describe the substantial long term effects of eating disorders and emphasise the potential opportunity for primary care to have a greater role in offering support and long term monitoring for individuals who are recovering from an eating disorder,” they said.

“A closer and more cohesive management approach in primary and specialist care may also be needed, for both physical (nephrology, cardiology, and endocrinology) and mental health services to provide this support,” they suggested.

“A potential gap exists in provision where patients’ difficulties are too complex for low intensity brief interventions, but not complex enough for specialist teams.”

“Raising awareness among healthcare providers about the lasting effects of eating disorders and the need for ongoing support in managing current symptoms and recovery is essential.” they added.

A call for better training

In a linked editorial, two experts from McMaster University noted that despite how common eating disorders are, their consequences are under-recognized.

“Earlier studies have illustrated the limited education given during medical training on the topic of eating disorders, and the current study emphasises the importance of disseminating this knowledge to all healthcare professionals,” said the researchers.

“Medical education should place greater emphasis on the recognition and management of eating disorders, to equip primary care providers, specialists, and allied health professionals with the tools to identify early warning signs and monitor ongoing risks associated with eating disorders.”

Eating disorders demand long-term care

Eating disorders affect far more than weight or eating habits. They reach into the heart, bones, kidneys, and mental health.

The numbers show how early the risks rise and how slowly they fall. People need help that lasts, and medical teams need the training and coordination to offer that support.

Families, clinicians, and communities all play a role in making sure recovery is not treated as a quick milestone. It is a long road, and the body needs time, attention, and steady care along the way.

The full study was published in the journal BMJ Medicine.

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