Association Between Dietary Regimens and Eating Disorder Susceptibility Among Adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

To systematically examine the association between dietary practices and eating disorder susceptibility among adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and to determine whether specific dieting characteristics are associated with elevated eating disorder symptoms.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among Saudi adults aged 18-45 years residing in Riyadh between December 2024 and August 2025. Participants were recruited through online platforms using convenience sampling. Eating disorder susceptibility was assessed using the validated Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), with a score ≥ 20 indicating elevated susceptibility. Dietary behaviors during the previous 6 months were self-reported and categorized into index-based, macronutrient-focused, pattern/lifestyle, and special or plant-based diets. Multivariable logistic regression models and general linear models were used to examine associations between dietary variables and eating disorder susceptibility and symptom severity.

Among the 188 participants included in the primary analysis, 90 (47.9%) participants were susceptible to eating disorders. Participants who had followed any dietary regimen in the previous 6 months were significantly more likely to exhibit eating disorder susceptibility compared with non-dieters (p < 0.001).

These findings suggest that recent engagement in dieting, rather than specific dietary characteristics, is associated with increased eating disorder susceptibility among adults in Riyadh. Public health efforts should emphasize balanced, evidence-based dietary guidance and increased awareness of the potential psychological risks of unsupervised dieting. Longitudinal research is needed to clarify temporal relationships and causal pathways.