United States: Acne patients have an increased risk of developing eating disorders based on recent study findings.
According to the Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, adult patients with acne appear 2.4 times more likely to develop eating disorders.
More about the news
The findings indicate that patients with acne show a 65% raised possibility of experiencing an eating disorder independent of their mood disorder past or body image concerns.
According to the study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Cohen, director of the Psoriasis Treatment Program at Yale School of Medicine, “We found that acne was associated with a higher likelihood of having an eating disorder in adults from across the United States,” US News reported.
“Our findings will help physicians caring for individuals with acne to be attentive to signs of eating disorders to provide holistic and comprehensive care to patients,” as the expert noted.
Adult #acne raises eating disorder risk by 2.4 times, study reveals. #publichealth #skinhealth https://t.co/pf35ys3o4f
— HealthDay News (@HealthDayTweets) April 30, 2025
How were the experts surveyed?
Scientists examined data between acne patients, who numbered 7,400 individuals, and acne-free patients, which reached 207,000 individuals.
As per the researcher’s statement, “Our findings substantiate the relevance of acne as a potential risk factor for eating disorders,” US News reported.
“In patients with existing psychological risk factors, acne might serve as a stimulus that further elevates concerns about appearances and triggers cognitive biases (e.g., overestimating body size) and behaviors (e.g., restricting eating) that are theorized to underlie the development of eating disorders,” as researchers added.
The study examined adults older than 18, according to Cohen, even though the research community considers these conditions to affect teenagers primarily.
“This may underscore the importance of acne as a risk factor for eating disorders, and future research should include people of all ages,” Cohen stated.
“We strongly encourage anyone experiencing signs or symptoms of an eating disorder, regardless of whether that person also has acne, to seek professional care,” he continued.