GoKawiilReport finds eating disorder rates up 71% since 1990, as clinicians flag GLP-1 drug risks
A new report cited by MIT Technology Review's The Checkup newsletter finds that global cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa increased 71% between 1990 and 2023. Clinicians quoted in the report say they are already observing GLP-1 weight-loss drugs worsening disordered eating in some patients.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The findings suggest that drugs widely celebrated as a breakthrough in obesity treatment may carry an overlooked mental health cost, according to the clinicians cited. As GLP-1 prescriptions expand globally, this could prompt calls for more careful screening of patients with disordered-eating risk before prescribing.
- Global anorexia and bulimia nervosa cases rose 71% from 1990 to 2023, per the cited report.
- Clinicians report seeing GLP-1 weight-loss drugs exacerbate eating disorder symptoms in some patients.
- The item appeared in MIT Technology Review's The Checkup biotech newsletter roundup.
Source: technologyreview.com — Thomas Macaulay, 2026-10-30
Published there as: “The Download: GLP-1s and eating disorders, self-aware cities, and forever chemicals”
Read the original report → The summary and analysis above are GoKawiil's own, written from reporting by the source above. Facts and quotes belong to the original publisher.