A small but growing body of work has highlighted that the symptoms and management of PCOS may increase risk for eating disorder symptoms, even though there remains much to be studied. This is a (growing) collection of research findings relevant to PCOS and eating disorders (both in relation to each other, as well as independently). We will aim to update this section regularly, but let us know if you have any recommendations to be added here!
Recent Publications on Eating Disorder Risks in PCOS
A review summarising research on eating disorder risks in PCOS:
Lalonde-Bester, S., Malik, M., Masoumi, R., Ng, K., Sidhu, S., Ghosh, M., & Vine, D. (2024). Prevalence and Etiology of Eating Disorders in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Scoping Review. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 15(4), 100193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advnut.2024.100193
Individuals with PCOS are at high risk of EDs, particularly BED [Binge Eating Disorder] and BN [Bulimia Nervosa]. However, the degree of risk for specific subtypes of EDs remains largely unclear. The pathophysiology of EDs in PCOS involves multiple pathways including genetic, metabolic, endocrine and psychological factors […] (Lalonde-Bester et al., 2024, p. 19)
A review summarising research on PCOS and eating disorders, taking into account diagnostic criteria and BMI
Cooney, L. G., Gyorfi, K., Sanneh, A., Bui, L. M., Mousa, A., Tay, C. T., Teede, H., Stener-Victorin, E., & Brennan, L. (2024). Increased Prevalence of Binge Eating Disorder and Bulimia Nervosa in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 109(12), 3293–3305. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgae462
Care for women with PCOS should be individualized and contextualized with the knowledge of the negative impact of weight stigma or weight management in the setting of eating disorders (Cooney et al., 2024, p.3303)
Another review of research on PCOS and disordered eating/eating disorders, identifying that women with PCOS have over three times the odds of having abnormal eating disorder scores as well as being diagnosed with an eating disorder when compared to women without PCOS
Lee, I., Cooney, L. G., Saini, S., Sammel, M. D., Allison, K. C., & Dokras, A. (2019). Increased odds of disordered eating in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eating and weight disorders : EWD, 24(5), 787–797. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0533-y
An empirical study (=this involved data collection) including 148 women with PCOS and 106 control participants finding that women with PCOS have over four times the risk of reporting disordered eating behaviours than controls
Lee, I., Cooney, L. G., Saini, S., Sammel, M. D., Allison, K. C., & Dokras, A. (2019). Increased odds of disordered eating in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eating and weight disorders : EWD, 24(5), 787–797. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0533-y
Recent Publications on PCOS
A (quite technical) overview of our current knowledge on PCOS:
Stener-Victorin, E., Teede, H., Norman, R. J., Legro, R., Goodarzi, M. O., Dokras, A., Laven, J., Hoeger, K., & Piltonen, T. T. (2024). Polycystic ovary syndrome. Nature reviews. Disease primers, 10(1), 27. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41572-024-00511-3
An overview of how PCOS affects other areas of life (including disordered eating/eating disorders and body image issues!). Includes a recommendation for eating disorder screening in PCOS:
Ee, C., Pirotta, S., Mousa, A., Moran, L., & Lim, S. (2021). Providing lifestyle advice to women with PCOS: an overview of practical issues affecting success. BMC endocrine disorders, 21(1), 234. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-021-00890-8
[…] clinicians are recommended to screen all women with PCOS for possible disordered eating behaviours, with particular attention to women with elevated BMI […]” (Ee et al., 2021, p. 7)
