Binge Eating in Teens
By Tom Horvath, PhD.
Last month the federal government released data about binge eating in teens, based on a nationally representative sample of 10,710 teens. 6,898 of these teens answered the item on the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) about binge eating (eating a very large amount of food and feeling out of control about doing so). The YRBS has been given every 2 years since 1991, but 2025 was the first year an item about binge eating was included. The report states that:
“During 2025, 40.5% of U.S. high school students reported binge eating at least 1 day in the past 30 days, with 17.2% reporting ≥3 days… students who reported using social media hourly or more, having poor mental health, having persistent sadness or hopelessness, or having seriously considered attempting suicide had a higher prevalence of binge eating on ≥3 days than those who did not report these factors.”
Is binge eating in teens rising? We do not have the evidence yet to know (wait until the 2027 YRBS). However, I predict that it is. Some addictive problems in teens are decreasing (e.g., drinking). That fact suggests to me that other addictive problems must be rising. A related fact is that the CDC elected to include the binge eating question on the YRBS, apparently based on reports they have received about binge eating.
The idea that “the more things change, the more they stay the same” applies here. Addictive problems can continue, even if the specific problem changes. This binge eating evidence also reports on factors in teens that may continue to be prominent for a while: heavy social media use, mental health challenges, depressive symptoms specifically, and suicidal thinking.
We see a similar pattern of “change but not really” in ourselves at times. As we improve on one addictive behavior, another one gets worse (e.g., I stop drinking, but I start using more cannabis or eating more). The challenge with addictive problems is to transition beyond the entire problem set. Although that transition often takes more effort and time than we expect, the outcome is worth the effort. Addressing the underlying and related problems is often a major part of the transition
Prevalence of Binge Eating Behavior Among High School Students and Associations with Social Media Use, Mental Health, and Suicide Risk — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2025; Supplements / October 15, 2026 / 75(1);44–53; https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/75/su/su7501a5.htm
