Despite the fact that Latinx folks experience eating disorders and disordered eating at rates equal to (or higher than) their White peers, they remain significantly underdiagnosed and undertreated. Our core mission at Equip is to make effective eating disorder treatment accessible to everyone struggling—and that often begins with understanding the unique ways that culture, identity, and lived experience influence a person’s ability to be diagnosed and get care. That’s why we recently launched a nationwide survey of nearly 1,000 Latinx individuals to better understand their experience when it comes to body image, disordered eating behaviors, mental health, and eating disorder treatment.

Our findings underscore the fact that culture isn’t just context for a problem—it’s often the key to the solution as well.

Why we conducted this research

We already knew that Latinx youth experience comparable or higher rates of disordered eating than their White peers, yet are less likely to be diagnosed or treated. Research has also found that body image dissatisfaction and acculturative stress (the psychological stress a person experiences when adapting to a new society or culture), rather than media ideals, were key predictors of disordered behaviors in Latinx youth, pointing to the role of family dynamics and cultural conflict. In adult populations, Latinx individuals have been found to experience higher levels of body dissatisfaction.

Previous studies have also found that culture shapes the recovery process: in interviews with Latina women, mental health stigma emerged as a major barrier to care, while family support—once engaged—played a critical protective role.

But existing research had gaps. How do intersecting identities—gender, sexual orientation, language, and region—shape access to care? How do cultural norms influence body image, eating behaviors, and the likelihood a person reaches out for help? And how does representation impact treatment-seeking?

Our goal was to fill in these gaps, and use our findings to inform eating disorder treatment that truly reflects the needs and realities of Latinx individuals.

Who we surveyed (and what we asked)

We gathered insights from 980 Latinx-identifying respondents across the United States. Here are some key demographic details about our survey respondents:

• Age: Most (74%) were between 18–39 years old
• Gender: Almost even split between those who identify as men/boys (51%) and those who identify as women/girls (47%)
• Sexual Orientation: 75% identified as heterosexual/straight, with bisexual (13%) being the most common minority orientation
• Language: 98% spoke English, and 42% also spoke Spanish

Key questions

To capture the full picture of eating disorders among Latinx populations, we asked questions that explored both individual experiences and cultural context. Some notable questions included:

• How important is it that your mental health provider be part of the Latinx community?
• How would you describe your current relationship with your body?
• How often did adults comment on weight or eating when you were growing up?
• In your experience, what role does food play in your cultural or family life?
• How do you perceive body image standards within the Latinx community compared with mainstream ideals?
• Have you ever been teased, treated unfairly, or discriminated against because of your weight?

Asking questions that touched on wide-ranging topics—like family background, body image, disordered behaviors, and attitudes toward mental health care—helped us connect the dots between personal behaviors, cultural expectations, and systemic gaps in care.

Key findings

Though the responses we received were varied and multifaceted, our survey brought to light several key themes.

Eating disorders in Latinx populations are more common than diagnosed

• More than 70% of respondents reported experiencing at least one disordered eating behavior in the past year. The most common behaviors were restriction (52%), binge eating (37%), and water loading (27%)
• Yet, only 12% reported having been formally diagnosed with an eating disorder
• 16% weren’t sure if they currently or previously had an eating disorder—pointing to stigma, lack of education, and inadequate culturally informed screening.

“I received an appropriate explanation on the triggers of my anorexia and the treatment. Although, due to Latinx beliefs on mental health and illness, I was unable to receive the treatment.” — 18–29 y/o woman with anorexia

People want care—but it’s often inaccessible

• 1 in 5 rated their mental health as negative—but 63% weren’t seeing a mental health provider.
• Among those seeking care, 47% said it was important their provider be part of the Latinx community, and 25% had been discouraged from seeking care when they couldn’t find a culturally aligned provider.

Culture is both support and strain

• In Latinx communities, food is overwhelmingly seen as both positive and central to life: 85% said it brings people together, 78% tie it to tradition, and 68% associate it with love.
• However, family and cultural expectations also create pressure, with 55% reporting that they had experienced teasing or discrimination related to weight.
• Family was named the #1 influence on body image—more so than peers or social media.

“In Hispanic/Latinx communities, being slim is beautiful—but food is how we connect. It’s a contradiction.” — 30–39 y/o male

“When I'm thin, it’s too thin. When I'm fat, it’s too fat... The ideal body is always just out of reach.” — 30–39 y/o bisexual woman

How our findings can shape care going forward

This research confirms what many in the Latinx community already know: eating disorders do not look the same across cultures, and neither should treatment.

To create more equitable, effective care, we must:

• Improve cultural competence in providers. This doesn’t just mean language access, but a deep understanding of Latinx values, family dynamics, and body image norms.
• Redesign screening tools to capture the diverse expressions of disordered eating and body image distress in Latinx populations.
• Expand community representation in both clinical teams and recovery narratives, so Latinx individuals can see themselves represented in treatment and know that recovery is possible for them.

We often speak about cultural differences as being barriers to care, but our findings show that while this may be true, there’s a deeper, more hopeful truth underlying it: cultural differences also offer a pathway to more effective, individualized, and responsive treatment.

At Equip, we’re committed to continuing to explore the unique ways that different identities experience eating disorders, and using our findings to inform our future work—all in the mission of helping everyone with an eating disorder find a path to lasting recovery.