Eating Disorders and Overweight/Obesity in Veterans: Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Treatment Considerations.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Eating disorders (EDs) and overweight/obesity (OW/OB) have a significant impact on veterans. This review highlights current research on EDs and OW/OB in this population.

RECENT FINDINGS: Prevalence estimates for both EDs and OW/OB among veterans remain consistent with and possibly higher than those in the general population. Both diagnoses share multiple risk factors, including trauma history, and mental health comorbidities. Although weight loss treatments have been fairly well studied among veteran samples, there are no published investigations on psychotherapies for EDs in this population. The Veterans Healthcare Administration is working to train providers in ED treatments. VHA treatments for OW/OB show some benefits and areas for improvement. Areas for future research include structured assessments for EDs and disordered eating behaviors in veterans to clarify prevalence estimates. There is a need for interventions that consider common mechanisms for ED and OW/OB, and there is a need for more research on the associations between different types of trauma and ED/OW/OB in veterans.