The first national estimate of binge eating among US high school students provides a baseline for earlier detection, after 40.5% reported the behaviour in the previous month.
The first national estimate of binge eating among U.S. high school students suggests the behaviour is far more common than many parents and educators may realise. According to a new CDC report based on the 2025 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 40.5% of students said they had binge eaten on at least one day in the previous 30 days, while 17.2% said it happened on three or more days. Harvard’s STRIPED programme said the figures mark a major step forward after years of advocacy for better public health monitoring of eating disorders.
Researchers and advocates have long argued that binge eating in teenagers has been under-measured, leaving schools and health officials with an incomplete picture of youth eating disorders. STAT News reported that the newly released data showed higher prevalence among girls and among students who identified as Black, Hispanic or multiracial. The findings matter because binge eating can be linked to distress, shame and other health problems, yet it has often received less attention in public discussion than other eating-disorder behaviours.
The CDC analysis also found associations between binge eating and several other risk factors, including frequent social media use, poor mental health and suicidal thoughts. Those links do not prove one causes the other, but they add to a growing body of evidence that adolescent eating patterns are closely tied to emotional wellbeing. In a separate CDC release this week, the agency said some indicators of youth mental health have improved between 2023 and 2025, including a drop in persistent sadness or hopelessness and a decline in poor mental health overall. That broader context suggests the picture for teenagers is mixed, with progress in some areas but continuing concern in others.
For clinicians, school staff and families, the new data may help normalise conversations that are often delayed until eating behaviours become severe. The CDC’s surveillance report gives public health officials a baseline for tracking trends over time, and advocates say that is essential if schools and health systems are to spot warning signs earlier and provide support sooner. Harvard’s STRIPED team said the release represents a milestone after long-running efforts to secure national measurement of binge eating, a step they argue is needed to bring the issue in line with other routinely tracked youth health risks.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
