--- title: Do women with severe PMS symptoms have higher odds of eating disorders? description: Yes. Women with worse PMS have higher odds of eating disorders, mainly because they tend to engage in more emotional eating and food addiction, particularly i url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/the-association-between-premenstrual-symptom-severity-and-eating-disorder-2026/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do women with severe PMS symptoms have higher odds of eating disorders? Survey study, 2026 # Do women with severe PMS symptoms have higher odds of eating disorders? Yes. Women with worse PMS have higher odds of eating disorders, mainly because they tend to engage in more emotional eating and food addiction, particularly if they have unhelpful thinking patterns. Early or limited evidence 600 women with average age 26.6 years who had menstruated at least twice in the previous year. ## What they did Surveyed 600 women (average age 26.6 years) about PMS symptoms, eating patterns, food cravings, unhelpful thoughts, and eating disorder screening. 25% identified as Asian, Black, Latina/Hispanic, or White minorities. ## What they found Women with worse PMS had more emotional eating and food addiction. Both emotional eating and food addiction linked PMS severity to higher odds of eating disorder screening. The connection between PMS and food addiction was stronger in women with more unhelpful thought patterns. PMS was not linked to age or body weight. ## What it means for you Severe PMS may increase your risk of eating disorders through emotional eating and cravings, especially if you tend to think in unhelpful ways. However, this is a snapshot survey, so we cannot say PMS causes eating disorders. The results are from online responses in one study. 600 women surveyed 26.6 average age in years 25% identified as Asian, Black, Latina/Hispanic, or White minority backgrounds ## About the study Original title The association between premenstrual symptom severity and eating disorder: Mediation by food addiction and emotional eating, moderation by irrational beliefs Authors Nolan LJ, Aurelus E, Eshleman A Journal Physiology & behavior Year 2026 Study design Survey study Participants 600 What was tested Premenstrual symptom severity Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115180](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2025.115180) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Low mood and depression](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-depression-mood/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Eating disorders](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-eating-disorders/)[Relationships and partners](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-relationships/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Case-control study, 2010 Do women with PMDD crave high-sugar and high-fat foods more than other women? Survey study, 2025 Does what women eat affect how severe their PMS is? Survey study, 2017 Is PMS linked to personality temperament types? Survey study, 2026 What dietary, lifestyle, and psychological factors are associated with PMS in young women? Survey study, 2024 Which lifestyle choices affect PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2022 Do different healthcare providers differ in recognizing and treating PMDD? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗