A review led by Bournemouth University researchers has highlighted the extent to which people seeking help for alcohol problems may also be struggling with a second, hidden, problem with food and eating. Despite this evidence that many people experience both conditions at the same time, support for eating disorders and alcohol recovery are separated in healthcare systems.
The researchers warn that failure to identify this link earlier can make it harder for a patient to recover and increase the risk of leaving treatment early.
Their findings have been published in the Journal of Eating Disorders .
The research team, led by Anna Preece, a PhD student at Bournemouth University, reviewed 44 previous studies to understand how common this overlap is and what drives it. They found that both issues are often rooted in the same underlying difficulties, particularly struggling to manage emotions, low self-esteem, and impulsive behaviour.
Bulimia nervosa was the eating disorder most frequently reported across the studies reviewed.
“Healthcare systems have well established recovery programmes for alcohol problems and disordered eating,” said Anna Preece, a PhD student at Bournemouth University who led the study. “However, treating them as distinct problems does not reflect reality for many people with alcohol problems who also struggle with overeating, restricting what they eat, or using food to cope with their emotions,” she added.
The findings raise questions about treatment models that focus solely on alcohol abstinence without considering a person's relationship with food.
“Abstinence-focused approaches could inadvertently reinforce someone’s restrictive eating habits, so more research is needed into integrated treatment for both conditions,” Anna explained.
Anna’s study complements a research project being led by her PhD supervisor Dr Chloe Casey, which explores how support with healthy eating can help people recovering from alcohol addiction.
Dr Casey, Lecturer in Nutrition and Behaviour at Bournemouth University, has worked with recovery charity WithYou and the Friendly Food Club to run cooking courses for people with alcohol problems. Early findings of this project have been very encouraging with participants saying how the benefits to their physical and mental health from a healthy diet is helping their recovery.
“People's relationship with food and alcohol are closely connected, and both can become ways of coping with life’s stresses. When people experience alcohol problems, eating behaviour can also be impacted,” Dr Casey said. “When they seek recovery support, they may need support with their relationship with food too. Seeing this in my own family inspired me to explore how we can better support healthy eating alongside alcohol recovery.”
Whilst more research is needed into joint treatment plans, the authors of the latest study recommend that as a first step, alcohol support services ask people about their eating behaviours early in the recovery process.
“Healthcare services are organised around diagnoses and specialties, but patients aren't. If alcohol services ask about alcohol but not eating, they may be missing a significant part of the problem,” Anna concluded.
Journal of Eating Disorders
Systematic review
People
Understanding the comorbidity of disordered eating behaviour and alcohol use disorder: a scoping review
29-Sep-2026