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Provider-Prescribed Restrictive Diets in Patients With Eating Disorders Presenting for Gastroenterology Care
Armand Amini1, Mia Dekel1, Mariana N Almeida1
1Center for Neurointestinal Health, Division of Gastroenterology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Neurogastroenterology and Motility
|July 16, 2026
Summary
Gastroenterologists prescribed restrictive diets to 16% of patients with a history of eating disorders (EDs), even those not in remission. This highlights potential risks of restrictive diets in patients with comorbid GI and ED conditions.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Nutrition
Background:
- Restrictive diets for gastrointestinal (GI) disorders can pose risks for patients with comorbid eating disorders (EDs).
- There is a need to understand the frequency and characteristics of provider-recommended restrictive diets in this vulnerable population.
- Gastroenterologists play a key role in managing GI conditions and may prescribe diets that could impact EDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of restrictive diet prescriptions among patients with a history of eating disorders seeking gastrointestinal care.
- To characterize the types of diets prescribed, provider subspecialties, and associated gastrointestinal and eating disorder diagnoses.
- To assess whether patients with eating disorders, particularly those not in remission, were prescribed restrictive diets.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of a preexisting cohort of patients with GI and ED diagnoses between 2010 and 2020.
- Examined restrictive diet prescriptions within 12 months of the initial GI consultation.
- Collected data on diet type, provider subspecialty, and specific ED and GI diagnoses.
Main Results:
- Of 285 eligible patients, 50 (17.5%) received restrictive diets from GI providers.
- Disorders of gut-brain interaction were the most common GI diagnoses (59.3%).
- Among patients with a history of EDs, 16.0% (pre-existing) and 20.6% (subsequently diagnosed) were prescribed restrictive diets, with 57.7% of those with pre-existing EDs not in remission.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion (16%) of patients with a history of eating disorders received restrictive diets from gastroenterologists.
- Restrictive diets were prescribed even to patients with eating disorders who were not in remission.
- Further research is warranted to investigate the potential risks of restrictive diets in exacerbating eating disorder behaviors.
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