Eating Disorders and Eating Disorders Awareness - Volume II

Given the outstanding impact of 'Eating Disorders and Eating Disorders Awareness', Frontiers in Nutrition is pleased to launch Volume II of this successful Research Topic.Eating disorders are a major and growing challenge in mental health, as reflected in contemporary diagnostic frameworks such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Among the most common and clinically impactful presentations, including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder (BED), and Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), rates appear to be rising across many contexts, with some authors describing trends consistent with an “epidemic” scenario. While research over the past decades has substantially expanded knowledge of the biological, psychological, and socio-cultural dimensions of eating disorders, important gaps remain. Notably, there is increasing discussion in psychiatry that progress in understanding mechanisms and improving outcomes in eating disorders has, in some respects, been slower and more uneven than in other areas of the field. This debate raises timely questions about whether the research agenda should more strongly emphasize structural, neurobiological, and other biological foundations in order to support more robust diagnostic tools and more effective, targeted treatments.This Research Topic aims to present and critically examine the latest interdisciplinary findings on eating disorders, while also fostering constructive discussion about the directions the field should take next. Key objectives include: (i) clarifying causes and risk factors across developmental, psychological, socio-cultural, and biological levels; (ii) examining genetic, neurobiological, and brain-based mechanisms that may help refine classification and guide personalized intervention; and (iii) evaluating advances and limitations in current diagnostics and therapeutic strategies. In parallel, the collection will highlight clinically actionable perspectives on treatment organization, including multidisciplinary care models and the involvement of families and caregivers, both of which are often central to engagement, continuity, and outcomes, particularly for younger patients and severe presentations.Given the rapidly evolving digital environment, the Topic will also emphasize the interaction between eating disorders and social media use. The sociological dynamics of online identity construction, body image comparison, and interpersonal validation, amplified by constant connectivity and algorithmically curated content, may shape both the onset and maintenance of disordered eating. Research at this intersection of digital culture, social influence, and psychopathology is urgently needed to better understand risk pathways and to inform prevention, clinical assessment, and public health responses.We welcome submissions including (but not limited to) the following themes:• Causes, risk and protective factors (developmental, clinical, and environmental).• Socio-cultural influences, including media and body ideals.• Social media exposure and use: identity, comparison, validation, and digital risk pathways.• Psychological processes: negative affect, low self-esteem, emotion regulation, and body dissatisfaction.• Family dynamics and the role of family involvement in treatment (e.g., caregiver burden, expressed emotion, therapy integration).• Peer influence and interpersonal mechanisms.• Biological, structural, and neurobiological considerations.• Brain functioning and neurocognitive models in eating disorders.• Epidemiology, trends, statistics, impairment, and mortality.• Diagnostics and assessment: validity, reliability, and innovations in measurement.• Physiological consequences and medical complications.• Psychotherapeutic, nutritional, and pharmacological interventions.• Multidisciplinary approaches to care (integrated models, stepped care, service delivery).• Progress, unresolved challenges, and future directions for the field.• Prevention and early intervention, including digital and community-based strategies.• Eating disorders as coping strategies and their functional/maintaining mechanisms.• Adverse effects and comorbidities over the course of illness. Topic editors: Mona Vintilă, Cosmin Goian, Sebastian Gustavo Soneira, Valeria Teresa Pedrón Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78607/eating-disorders-and-eating-disorders-awareness---volume-ii