Eating Behaviors and Eating Disorders: Prevention, Clinical Characterization, and Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue explores the intricate relationship between eating behaviors and eating disorders, emphasizing the prevention, clinical characterization, and treatment.

Eating behaviors include a wide spectrum, from healthy dietary habits to disordered patterns, and play a key role in the onset of eating disorders (i.e., anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating disorder, and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder) and obesity.

Pathological eating behaviors such as binge eating, grazing, food dependence, nocturnal eating, and a preference for sweets can be critical indicators of eating disorders and may also reflect underlying endocrine/metabolic disturbances that warrant clinical attention. Additionally, maladaptive eating patterns, combined with body dissatisfaction, distorted body image, and psychological distress, are core symptoms that define the clinical presentation of major eating disorders.

Preventive strategies focus on promoting healthy eating behaviors, increasing awareness, and implementing early interventions to reduce the incidence of these conditions. Treatment approaches are multifaceted, including cognitive-behavioral therapy, mindfulness, nutritional counseling, and pharmacotherapy with the goal of restoring healthy eating patterns and improving overall well-being. Additionally, a multidisciplinary approach, involving healthcare professionals from various fields, can enhance treatment outcomes. By addressing both the behavioral and psychological aspects of eating behaviors, we can work towards more effective prevention and intervention strategies, ultimately improving patient care and quality of life.

Dr. Cristina Segura Garcia
Guest Editor

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