CDC Survey Finds 40% of U.S. High School Students Report Binge Eating in Past Month

The CDC's biennial Youth Risk Behavior Survey added a binge-eating item after advocacy groups successfully argued it was the most common disordered-eating behavior among adolescents. Nearly 17% of respondents reported an episode in the prior three days. Rates were higher among female students (19%) than males (16%) and among Black (19%), Hispanic (20%), and multiracial (20%) students than white students (15%). The question defined binge eating as eating an unusually large amount with a sense of loss of control, aligning with DSM-5 criteria.

Prior removal of eating-disorder items in 2015 to accommodate vaping questions left a data gap that obscured rising prevalence. The new findings coincide with documented increases in ultra-processed food availability and social-media exposure, both linked in observational studies to loss-of-control eating. Disparities by race and ethnicity contradict earlier clinical stereotypes and align with evidence that food insecurity elevates binge-eating risk.

Cross-sectional design prevents causal inference. Next steps require longitudinal follow-up and inclusion of fasting or purging items in core questions to track full spectrum of disordered eating and evaluate policy or environmental interventions.