Scientists have pointed to the frequency of episodes of overeating in adolescents

Teenagers' eating habits may be related not only to their physical health, but also to their emotional state and daily behavior. A national survey of American schoolchildren showed that episodes of overeating are much more common than one might have expected, and their prevalence varies depending on gender and some indicators of mental well-being. About how often teenagers experience episodes of overeating and what factors they are associated with, see the Izvestia article.

What the survey showed

Researchers found that in 2025, 40.5% of American high school students reported episodes of overeating on at least one day over the previous 30 days. At the same time, 17.2% of respondents reported that they had encountered them for three or more days during the same period.

Researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed data from 6,898 schoolchildren who participated in a national survey. The study included respondents for whom information about episodes of overeating was available. The results are published in the journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

What are the differences found between teenagers?

Frequent episodes of overeating that occurred three or more days in the last month were more often reported by girls than boys: 18.6% versus 15.9%. Differences were also found between racial and ethnic groups.

Among Hispanic teenagers, the figure was 20.5%, among representatives of several racial groups — 19.6%, and among black schoolchildren — 18.7%. It reached 14.6% among white teenagers, and 9.9% among Middle Easterners and North Africans.

Thus, the survey results indicate a different prevalence of frequent episodes of overeating among different groups of schoolchildren. At the same time, the figures themselves do not explain why these differences arose.

Scientists have reported symptoms of compulsive overeating in people with diabetes

How overeating is related to social media and well-being

Frequent episodes of overeating were also more common among teenagers who used social media at least once an hour. Higher rates were also observed among schoolchildren who reported poor mental health, prolonged feelings of sadness or hopelessness.

These connections were observed among both girls and boys. However, the survey results do not prove that frequent use of social media or psychological difficulties directly cause overeating. The study revealed the prevalence of the phenomenon and its relationship to other characteristics of the participants, but did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship.

What do doctors think about the results?

Ateka Ismail, a doctor from the eating disorders treatment program, noted that the results were unexpectedly high.

The authors of the study assessed the prevalence of episodes of overeating among American high school students and examined differences between demographic groups, as well as links to social media use and mental health indicators. The findings show that this behavior is common among adolescents and requires further study.