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Food & Fitness

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(Diet) Culture & Society

The term “intuitive eating” has entered the mainstream, and it’s easy to find influencers and self-proclaimed experts on social media touting its benefits. As explained on, say, TikTok, the idea is pretty straightforward: you eat exactly what and how much you feel like eating, listening to your body’s 

 as well as its cravings. But in reality, intuitive eating is much more complex—especially for those who have struggled with an eating disorder. Read on to learn the definition of intuitive eating, its risks and benefits, how it relates to eating disorder recovery, and more.

Often when people learn about intuitive eating for the first time, their response is something like this: “But if I allow myself to eat whatever I want, I’ll just eat donuts and French fries all day.” Indeed, there’s a common fear that without the structure of a diet plan or food rules, eating will start to feel out of control, and you’ll only choose “

.” But while intuitive eating does emphasize giving yourself permission to eat a wide variety of foods, including the fun foods you love, this doesn’t mean saying “screw it” and never eating a fruit or veggie again.

“Intuitive eating is a framework that helps people improve their relationship with food,” says registered dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor Jen Baswick. “Intuitive eating is all about unlearning and letting go of the external ‘rules’ taught to us by diet culture and re-learning your natural internal cues to let them guide your eating habits.”

Listening to and honoring your body’s cues instead of a diet (or eating disorder voice) is a foundational aspect of intuitive eating, but it’s not simply about eating when you’re hungry and stopping when you’re full—it’s a lot more nuanced than that. “Intuitive eating includes how and why we eat what we eat—preferences, nutrition, access, nervous system and health function—as well as our emotional relationship to food and even how we view physical activity,” shares eating disorder dietitian Tracy Brown, RD.

Developed in the 1990s by dietitians Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole, intuitive eating includes 

Giving yourself unconditional permission to eat

Developing healthy coping strategies for emotions

Balancing eating for health and pleasure (AKA “gentle nutrition”)

The risks and benefits of intuitive eating

Intuitive eating is a practice that can have a powerful and positive domino effect in your relationships with food as well as life beyond the plate. In my own practice as a dietitian, I observe clients of all genders, ages, body sizes and diagnoses reaping numerous benefits of intuitive eating, and my colleagues in the space report seeing similar changes.

“Some of the benefits of intuitive eating include fostering more self-compassion, higher self-esteem, and more optimism,” Baswick says. “It’s also associated with a decrease in 

, preoccupation with food, food-related anxiety, and 

.” Research shows associations between intuitive eating and better 

However, intuitive eating can be a risk for people who struggle with eating disorders and try to go all in before they’re ready, or for those who don’t have the right support (like a dietitian and therapist) in place.

“Sometimes, people can jump right into intuitive eating without understanding that as soon as the container of their ‘diet’ is lifted, often big emotions can arise that they aren't prepared for, and a ‘whack-o-mole’ situation can happen,” explains Brown. “Like ‘if I’m not restricting, then I over-exercise.’” There are a number of different ways this might show up, but people should be on alert for compensatory behaviors—like compulsively working out—that arise once the 

For this reason and others, it’s critical that those in eating disorder recovery take baby steps toward intuitive eating. Doing this allows time for organ systems to heal, for the eating disorder voice to quiet, and for a person to become reconnected with their body.

There’s one more risk that merits a mention: the risk of intuitive eating getting warped by the forces of diet culture. I often catch this in my own practice, when intuitive eating starts to morph into a perfectionistic hunger-fullness diet. “The 

 and diet industry has now co-opted the term intuitive eating and uses it in a restrictive way surrounding weight loss, which it is not meant for,” Baswick says.

Who is intuitive eating for (and not for)?

Generally, intuitive eating is meant for every human, since we come out of the womb connected to our hunger and fullness cues. However, diet culture, disordered eating, or eating disorders can often sever our connections to our bodies and require us to re-learn how to get in touch with them through professional support.

“Some people will need guidance as anyone who has struggled with emotional under- or overeating has been disembodied for months or years,” Brown says, “and they’ll likely progress more efficiently and with less guessing and stress with someone offering feedback and a safe relationship.”.

According to Baswick, there are a few populations that may have a harder time practicing intuitive eating, such as those who are food insecure or have food allergies. “Using intuitive eating with populations who may have a more complicated relationship with food is not impossible, but should always be approached on a case-by-case individualized basis.”

Intuitive eating could also be a risk for someone with a metabolic condition, like diabetes or hypertension. “If someone who has diabetes wants to practice intuitive eating, they should get the support of a dietitian to help them understand how to use the principles of intuitive eating while also understanding how to keep their blood sugar managed well,” says Baswick.

Can intuitive eating fit into eating disorder recovery?

 shows a link between using intuitive eating principles on college campuses and improved eating disorder symptoms among students, versus using self-weighing and calorie counting. 

 evaluated an intuitive eating program in an eating disorder treatment center, finding an association with intuitive eating abilities and positive treatment outcomes.

In my clinical opinion, intuitive eating can be successfully and effectively used at any part of the eating disorder recovery process, as long as it's done so consciously and carefully. For example, I’ve had clients who are still 

, disconnected from internal cues, and still need to mechanically eat and follow meal plans closely; however, they can start to learn to practice permission with food (a foundational part of intuitive eating), within the structure of their plans. I’ve also had clients simply start to notice hunger and fullness cues (another critical step in intuitive eating) before and after meals without necessarily letting these cues guide eating habits yet. For clients further along in recovery, we work to move them away from meal plans and into alignment with their bodies.

“I believe that aspects of intuitive eating can be very complementary to eating disorder recovery, especially rejecting the diet mentality, making peace with food, and body respect, to name a few,” adds Baswick.

However, Brown, Baswick and I all agree that honoring hunger and fullness are two of the trickier intuitive treatment principles to follow early on in recovery. “It takes time to develop accurate interoception, or feeling hunger and fullness separated from emotions or trauma body memories,” Brown says. “People can and do get signals back, but accuracy builds as physical, emotional, and mental healing occurs.”

Baswick adds that gastroparesis (slowed stomach motility) and feelings of early fullness despite needing more food (which is common in anorexia) can complicate things. She also points out that the rigid thinking common in eating disorders can make the looser framework of intuitive eating tricky. “One danger is if a patient turns following their hunger and fullness cues into another restrictive pattern to follow,” she says. “This is why it's so important to work with a dietitian that specializes in eating disorder recovery and knows intuitive eating well to support people along their recovery journey.”

Whether you are in eating disorder recovery or are simply working on your relationship to food and body, intuitive eating offers a liberating alternative to the rigid, black-and-white thinking of diet culture and eating disorders. A departure from eating and living with self-control, judgment, and punishment, intuitive eating provides a nuanced, compassionate way of nourishing yourself from an embodied place of self-care, self-trust, and self-respect.

Linardon, Jake et al. “Intuitive eating and its psychological correlates: A meta-analysis.” The International journal of eating disorders vol. 54,7 (2021): 1073-1098. doi:10.1002/eat.23509

Hayashi, Lauren C et al. “Intuitive and mindful eating to improve physiological health parameters: a short narrative review of intervention studies.” Journal of complementary & integrative medicine, 10.1515/jcim-2021-0294. 16 Dec. 2021, doi:10.1515/jcim-2021-0294

Tylka, Tracy L et al. “Intuitive eating is connected to self-reported weight stability in community women and men.” Eating disorders vol. 28,3 (2020): 256-264. doi:10.1080/10640266.2019.1580126

Romano, Kelly A et al. “Helpful or harmful? The comparative value of self-weighing and calorie counting versus intuitive eating on the eating disorder symptomology of college students.” Eating and weight disorders : EWD vol. 23,6 (2018): 841-848. doi:10.1007/s40519-018-0562-6

Richards, P Scott et al. “Can patients with eating disorders learn to eat intuitively? A 2-year pilot study.” Eating disorders vol. 25,2 (2017): 99-113. doi:10.1080/10640266.2017.1279907

What Is Intuitive Eating? (And Can It Fit into Eating Disorder Recovery?)

Diet culture is omnipresent in our lives, but it’s always shape-shifting (for instance, people talking about “wellness” rather than weight loss). One of the more recent ways that 

 has shown up is in the trend of intermittent fasting, or not eating for certain hours of the day. Over the past few years, countless people have jumped on the intermittent fasting bandwagon, usually out of a genuine desire to improve their health. But the reality is, intermittent fasting itself can be a 

 behavior, and can lead to other problematic and unhealthy habits. Read on to learn more about the risks and benefits of this practice, the relationship between intermittent fasting and eating disorders, whether it’s safe for those in recovery, and more.

Intermittent fasting is an eating approach that 

 the ketogenic (keto) diet in popularity among Americans. Instead of setting rules about what types of foods you can and can’t consume (like forbidding carbs with keto), intermittent fasting involves rigid rules about when—rather than what—you eat.

“There’s a length of time in the day when a person chooses to eat, and a length of time they choose to fast,” explains dietitian 

. “There are several methods with varying time ranges, such as a 16-hour fast with eight hours of eating, or fasting days, in which a person may cut way back on their caloric intake for five days, and then eat in a surplus for the remaining two days of the week.” According to Equip dietitian Rui Tanimura, RD, other intermittent fasters may have one large meal per day and avoid all meals and snacks otherwise. Exactly how it looks will vary from person to person, but the basic principle is the same: limiting food intake during set periods of time, and allowing unrestricted access to food during other periods of time.

The supposed benefits of intermittent fasting

Proponents claim that intermittent fasting has several significant health benefits, such as increasing lifespan, improving conditions associated with inflammation (like Alzheimer’s), preventing cancer, and improving heart health. Weight loss, it should probably go without saying, is also high on the list of touted benefits. “Supporters claim that it’s an effective approach to control or change weight, improve metabolism, and to prevent overeating,” says Tanimura.

While there are some studies supporting the benefits of intermittent fasting, it’s not the type of research that shows direct causation—in other words, the studies might show that intermittent fasting is associated with lower blood pressure, but don’t prove or claim that intermittent fasting itself caused this change. The existing research also lacks data from which we can make any evidence-based recommendations about intermittent fasting.

“Intermittent fasting, just like any other fad diet, has far-reaching claims attached to it,” says Chaffin. “The problem is, 

 on intermittent fasting has been done almost exclusively in a lab on animals.” For example, 

 showing a link between intermittent fasting and longevity was conducted with fruit flies, and 

. Research that associated intermittent fasting with improving inflammation-linked diseases like Alzheimer’s and that 

“Intermittent fasting, just like any other fad diet, has far-reaching claims attached to it,” says Chaffin. “The problem is, the 

 showing a link between intermittent fasting and longevity was conducted with fruit flies and 

 that associated intermittent fasting with improving inflammation-linked diseases like Alzheimer’s and that 

Chaffin says the reason for the limited number of human trials is because of the restrictive nature of intermittent fasting. “ It’s not sustainable, so many people drop out or are unable to complete the trial,” she explains.

 showing positive associations between intermittent fasting and cardiovascular risk factors like diabetes and hypertension, yet they are too small and too short in duration to draw conclusive recommendations. “There’s just simply no way to know the benefits versus risk factors without looking at a large population of people over a long period of time,” Chaffin says. “The studies that do show ‘improvements’ only last somewhere between one to 12 weeks total. Compared to a lifetime, it’s a tiny blip of time.”

When it comes to what the research says about weight loss, it’s more of the same story, with studies being 

 to prove the diet “works” in the long run. “Most intermittent fasting 

 continues to need more longer-term outcomes,” says Tanimura. Moreover, a recent 

 examining the effects of intermittent fasting on weight loss for 12 weeks showed no differences in weight loss between intermittent fasters and consistent eaters.

, intermittent fasting comes with several potential side effects, like extreme hunger, fatigue, insomnia, nausea, and headaches. Plus, 

 shows that dieting can lead to eating disorders.

, intermittent fasting comes with several potential side effects. Intermittent fasting risks include:

Additionally, intermittent fasting can have negative psychological impacts, including irritability, anxiety, and poor concentration. 

 that dieting is one of the biggest risk factors for developing an eating disorder.

If you’re concerned about your eating habits, our free, 5-minute assessment can help you determine next steps.


Is your diet an eating disorder?

Is intermittent fasting an eating disorder?

In short, no, intermittent fasting is not an eating disorder. However, all restrictive diets—including intermittent fasting—can be considered a form of 

, a term used to describe a vast range of unhealthy eating behaviors that don’t necessarily constitute a full-blown eating disorder. That’s because any sort of rigid food rules, like the ones necessary to maintain intermittent fasting, foster unhealthy behaviors around food and a hyperfixation on food and body size, and sever the natural connection between our minds and bodies. “When we use external factors like the time to tell us when we can and can’t eat, we’re telling our bodies that they are not to be trusted, and that the cues and signals they give us can be ignored,” Chaffin explains.

And while intermittent fasting itself is not an eating disorder, it does encourage several behaviors associated with eating disorders. One 

 of young adults and teens of all genders showed a significant link between intermittent fasting and eating disorder behaviors like 

, vomiting, and severe food restriction. 

, RD, points out that the very structure of intermittent fasting lends itself to another eating disorder behavior: binge eating. “Intermittent fasting involves restriction for a large part of the day followed by a food free-for-all, which could look or feel like 

While rigid rules and the behaviors described above are often symptoms of eating disorders, not all intermittent fasters will experience disordered eating behaviors or thoughts. However, “that can change if the diet is followed for a long period of time,” Wallace says. “You won't find intermittent fasting listed as a diagnostic criteria in the DSM, but it can quickly shift from being an experiment for your health to a disordered relationship with food, or a full-blown eating disorder.”

How intermittent fasting can lead to an eating disorder

As Wallace explained, intermittent fasting has the potential to lead to an eating disorder over time. What may start out as a genuine attempt to experience health benefits can become a slippery slope that descends into disordered eating patterns, which often build off of one another and become more extreme. Remember, any 

 carries psychological and physical health risks.

“Your body doesn't understand that this ‘famine’ is self-inflicted, so it's going to be on high alert to increase its ability to survive and find food,” explains Equip Nutrition Director Erin Reeves, RD. “You might be 

 or feel more out of control when you do eat because your body can't trust there won't be a famine again.”

Tanimura tried intermittent fasting herself, and says it was one of the behaviors that ultimately led to her eating disorder diagnosis. “It is an extreme behavior that can likely trigger other eating disorder behaviors or attitudes, such as body dissatisfaction, a desire to adopt severe restriction methods, binge eating, low self-esteem, food rules, and attempting to ignore and suppress 

Intermittent fasting and eating disorder recovery

Attempting intermittent fasting while in eating disorder recovery would be similar to trying to drink one glass of wine a day when you’re in recovery from alcohol use disorder: it would likely be a fast track to relapse. As an eating disorder dietitian, this analogy is how I help my clients in recovery understand that going on the next diet du jour may set them up for a 

Plus, the principles of intermittent fasting and eating disorder recovery are in direct conflict with each other. “The components of intermittent fasting do not align with the pillars of eating disorder recovery, such as creating consistent meal and snack times every two to four hours, feeling and honoring our hunger and fullness cues, and removing debilitating food rules,” Tanimura explains.

What’s more, intermittent fasting and other diets are externally driven, taking us further away from our bodies, ourselves, and our values—just like eating disorders do.

“I would never recommend dieting to a person in recovery, and intermittent fasting is going to be particularly triggering due to its similarity to disorders like 

,” Wallace says. “If you’re in recovery from an eating disorder and are interested in the alleged health benefits of intermittent fasting, I suggest talking to an eating disorder clinician about how to incorporate health-promoting behaviors into your recovery rather than pursuing a diet such as intermittent fasting.”

Healthy alternatives to intermittent fasting

Whether you have an eating disorder or not, the healthiest way of eating is one that supports your mental, emotional, and physical well-being, and helps you live in alignment with your core values. One specific eating framework, called 

, fosters healthy food and body relationships, and includes principles like honoring hunger and fullness cues and getting satisfied at all meals and snacks. Intuitive eating encourages internal guidance (rather than relying on the clock or rules) from your own body and mind and helps you reconnect to your innate ability to nourish yourself.

However, if you are struggling with an eating disorder and early in the recovery process, it’s important to work with your treatment team to find the best eating pattern for you right now. That may be using 

, the plate-by-plate-approach, or a different structure. Eating intuitively in recovery usually takes time and intentional steps with professional guidance and support, and it usually happens later in recovery.

Here are a few general tips for finding balance in eating and building a positive relationship to food, which will support your overall mental and physical well-being:

Eat every few hours during the day, including meals and snacks.

Ensure you eat from all the food groups on a regular basis (carbs, fats, proteins, dairy or dairy alternatives, fruits, and veggies).

Include sources of the three macronutrients (carbs, fats, and proteins) at each meal.

Leave room for “fun foods,” or less nutritious foods that you enjoy (think French fries and cake).

Remember your needs can change from day to day, and that’s okay.

Keep in mind that if you’re in early recovery, or have specific nutrition needs or concerns, it’s best to work with a dietitian, at least at first.

The Equip takeaway on intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting may be trendy and flashy, but its alleged benefits are not based on solid evidence, and it carries several risks that can seriously harm your physical and mental health. Additionally, it can lead to disordered eating behaviors or even an eating disorder. While it can be tempting to join the latest diet trend and all it appears to offer, the healthiest choice is to prioritize your holistic well-being, which can’t be found in any restrictive diet or eating pattern.

If you or someone you love is struggling with disordered eating or rigid food rules that are interfering with your health and ability to live a full life, it’s important to get help. Speak to your medical provider or 

schedule a consultation with an Equip team member

Get expert resources dedicated to combating disordered eating patterns and breaking free from diet culture delivered right to your inbox. 

Sign up for free anti-diet culture resources

What is intermittent fasting and how does it work?

Intermittent fasting is a restrictive diet that focuses on meal timing instead of meal composition. It requires you to fast for a certain period and eat during a specific timeframe, and there are several methods to choose from. For example, one method includes fasting for 16 hours and eating in an 8-hour window, while another requires you to alternate fasting days.

Are there proven benefits to intermittent fasting?

There is some research that suggests intermittent fasting has certain benefits, such as increasing lifespan, improving conditions associated with inflammation (like Alzheimer’s), preventing cancer, and improving heart health. Weight loss is also a “benefit” from a weight-centric perspective. However, the studies backing such claims are weak, because they only show association—not causation—and mostly use animals like mice and fruit flies. Although some human studies exist, they’re too small and short to be conclusive or used as the basis for nutrition recommendations.

Can intermittent fasting lead to an eating disorder?

Yes, any restrictive diet—including intermittent fasting—can lead to an eating disorder. Disordered eating and intermittent fasting go together, since behaviors like restriction, ignoring the body’s cues, and adhering to rigid food rules are both inherent to intermittent fasting 

 a link between intermittent fasting and other disordered behaviors, like compulsive exercise, vomiting, and severe food restriction.

How can intermittent fasting impact mental health?

Aside from potentially leading to an eating disorder or relapse, intermittent fasting can cause irritability, mood and personality changes, and anxiety.

Is it safe to try intermittent fasting if I’m in recovery from an eating disorder?

No. Like it’s unsafe for a person recovering from alcoholism to spend lots of time in a bar or attempt drinking just one glass of wine with dinner, it’s also unsafe for someone in eating disorder recovery to go on any restrictive diet—including intermittent fasting—because it’s often a slippery slope back into the depths of the eating disorder.

What are healthier alternatives to intermittent fasting?

The healthiest way of eating is one that supports your overall wellness and helps you live in alignment with your core values. Intuitive eating is an eating framework that fosters healthy food and body relationships, and includes principles like honoring hunger and fullness cues and getting satisfied at all meals and snacks. It helps you reconnect to your innate ability to nourish yourself.

Patterson, Ruth E et al. “Intermittent Fasting and Human Metabolic Health.” Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics vol. 115,8 (2015): 1203-12. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2015.02.018

Catterson, James H et al. “Short-Term, Intermittent Fasting Induces Long-Lasting Gut Health and TOR-Independent Lifespan Extension.” Current biology : CB vol. 28,11 (2018): 1714-1724.e4. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2018.04.015

Mitchell, Sarah J et al. “Daily Fasting Improves Health and Survival in Male Mice Independent of Diet Composition and Calories.” Cell metabolism vol. 29,1 (2019): 221-228.e3. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2018.08.011

Shin, Bae Kun et al. “Intermittent fasting protects against the deterioration of cognitive function, energy metabolism and dyslipidemia in Alzheimer's disease-induced estrogen deficient rats.” Experimental biology and medicine (Maywood, N.J.) vol. 243,4 (2018): 334-343. doi:10.1177/1535370217751610

Welton, Stephanie et al. “Intermittent fasting and weight loss: Systematic review.” Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien vol. 66,2 (2020): 117-125.

Varady, Krista A et al. “Clinical application of intermittent fasting for weight loss: progress and future directions.” Nature reviews. Endocrinology vol. 18,5 (2022): 309-321. doi:10.1038/s41574-022-00638-x

Ganson, Kyle T et al. “Intermittent fasting: Describing engagement and associations with eating disorder behaviors and psychopathology among Canadian adolescents and young adults.” Eating behaviors vol. 47 (2022): 101681. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2022.101681

What’s the Relationship Between Intermittent Fasting and Eating Disorders? 

It’s no secret that navigating the ins and outs of eating disorder recovery can be rife with challenges and setbacks. But traversing that road while also honoring your culture’s religious or spiritual practices that include food restriction can be particularly tough.

 may experience, those who participate in Ramadan, the Muslim period of spiritual reflection, worship, and self-improvement, may have to make some difficult decisions about how they or their families choose to worship — specifically because the holy month involves abstaining from food and beverages for most of each day.

“Fasting Ramadan is one of the essential worships,” says Hala Abu Taha, senior dietitian and volunteer at the 

Middle East Eating Disorder Association (MEEDA).

 “Muslims stop having any food or drinks or smoking from sunrise until sunset. As a Muslim who fasts for Ramadan, I can say fasting is challenging and has many spiritual benefits if individuals have no medical conditions. However, fasting during the journey of eating disorder recovery or treatment can be harmful.”

The intention behind fasting, and meaningful alternatives

psychologist Omara Naseem who penned a guide for patients and loved ones about the intersection of Ramadan and eating disorders

, the purpose of the fast is to “allow the individual to understand the pain and suffering of those less fortunate in the world who live their lives in poverty and famine, leaving the participant feeling more grounded and grateful for all that they have.” Naseem makes it clear that intention matters and that “an eating disorder may skew your mindset away from faith and more towards fasting for the eating disorder (e.g. to lose weight)” instead of focusing on purposeful mindfulness.

While fasting may be a central part of Ramadan, Taha says it is not the only way to express or explore one’s faith during the holy month. “The bigger picture isn't only about restricting food and drinks,” she says. “Patients in recovery can engage themselves in other spiritual worships like donating money and food or reciting Quran, forgiving others, and praying more.”

Taha explains that while she has observed prejudice in the Muslim community toward individuals who are unable to fast, Islam itself doesn't endorse or condone stigmatizing those who don't traditionally observe the holy month. “In Islam, Allah [God] has given permission to people who can't fast not to — all they have to do is ask 

 [a person that is well knowledgeable and trustworthy] to confirm they do not need to fast.” Taha says this principle is often applied in the case of pregnant women and those living with a chronic disease that would be negatively impacted by the fast.

“As a Muslim member of MEEDA, it was crucial for me to ask and investigate thoroughly if people with active eating disorders can fast,” Taha says. “The answers I got from high-ranked individuals in Islam were that each patient should be evaluated by their medical doctor and if their doctor confirms that fasting will be harmful, they shouldn't. If fasting will affect a patient's physical or mental health, there is no ‘best way’ to fast.”

If you or your loved one are considering fasting during Ramadan, consulting a medical professional may serve as an important first step in making the decision. In a 

 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, researchers found that the “drastic change in one's diet such as that which occurs during Ramadan” may play a role in triggering or exacerbating eating pathology in teens predisposed to eating disorders. They concluded that it is crucial to have a physician evaluate the situation when warning signs are present.

In her own practice, Taha has seen how fasting can be a slippery slope for disordered behavior and the importance of considering potential triggers. “Many of my patients with 

 recall preoccupation with food which can cause high anxiety and lead to more fatigue,” she explains. “One of my patients recently stated that fasting Ramadan triggered her to restrict more. Another patient who suffers from binge eating disorder recalled how fasting triggered more binge episodes.”

For those who do decide to fast, reflecting on where you are in your recovery journey can help with coping ahead of these potential pitfalls. By anticipating the mental and emotional toll of abstaining from food, your family can determine what additional resources and support you may need.

Taha suggests starting with making a meal plan and scheduling ahead of time. “Break [your] fast as soon as [the sunset prayer] to nourish the body with all the food groups needed and not eliminate any group or reduce portions. After 

[the meal eaten after sunset], frequent meals should be followed by a maximum three-hour gap. Delaying the 

 [the meal consumed early in the morning before fasting] is essential for people to have stable blood sugar and energy levels throughout long fasting hours.”

While there are many factors to consider when deciding how to safely and appropriately observe Ramadan, Taha emphasizes that the support of family members can be critical for those who are not able to fast and that shifting traditional attitudes and beliefs can go a long way in helping individuals in recovery.

“It's very important for family members to understand that an eating disorder is not a choice and patients can be triggered by any behavior,” she says. “Family members can show support by making sure that food is always available in fasting hours for the patient to have. They can also encourage and join the patient in other spiritual worships and try to avoid talking about ‘healthy food’, dieting or even weight changes during Ramadan.”

Akgül, Sinem et al. “Fasting during Ramadan: a religious factor as a possible trigger or exacerbator for eating disorders in adolescents.” The International journal of eating disorders vol. 47,8 (2014): 905-10. doi:10.1002/eat.22255