The Dangers of Eating Disorders During Pregnancy

Updated February 11, 2025.

It’s no secret that pregnancy takes an immense amount of strength from conception to birth. The emotional and physical toll your body endures is not for the faint of heart. Proper nourishment through a well-balanced meal plan, hydration and doctor-approved moderate exercise is essential for giving yourself the energy to nurture and develop a healthy baby. Plus, your baby’s nutrients come from what you put into your body, so it’s very important to eat nutritious, whole foods and drink the recommended amount of water every day to help your baby grow.

If you or a loved one is overly concerned about food intake amounts, body shape and size, weight gain, or limiting the specific types of foods you eat, eliminating entire food groups out of fear, it may be time to seek additional support during pregnancy. Loneliness and isolation only make disordered eating habits worse. Being around other likeminded people is its own kind of healing and can truly help those who are struggling with negative body image issues, to maintain a healthy pregnancy weight, and/or embracing healthy eating habits.

Unfortunately, approximately 21 percent of pregnant people in the United States do not gain enough weight over the course of their pregnancy. According to healthcare professionals, pregnant people with an average pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) should expect to gain between 25 and 35 pounds over the nine month gestational period. From increased progesterone and estrogen, blood flow and milk production, to amniotic fluid and a baby who gets bigger by the day, there are many biological factors that contribute to perfectly natural weight gain throughout each trimester.

Here is a breakdown of recommended singleton pregnancy weight gain to support optimal nutrition for yourself and your rapidly growing baby. The numbers are higher if you’re carrying twins, so be sure to double-check the chart. If you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, or are simply curious, you can easily calculate personal weight gain recommendations based on your BMI using this assessment tool.

Which eating disorder behaviors do some people exhibit during pregnancy?

Engaging in disordered eating behaviors while pregnant such as calorie restriction, extreme exercising and/or dieting behaviors risks serious consequences for a developing baby. Serious nutritional deficiencies contribute to birth defects, congenital malformations, premature delivery, low birth weight, miscarriage and even stillbirth. Orthorexia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most commonly known eating disorders that either carry over from before the person became pregnant or begin to develop and intensify during pregnancy.

Orthorexia Nervosa

Orthorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by having an unhealthy obsession with specific foods that are deemed “healthy” by society. The term is derived from the Greek word “orthos,” which means “right,” and “rexia” which means “hunger.” Therefore, orthorexia literally means “righteous eating.”

When someone is struggling with orthorexia, an obsession with consuming only pure foods becomes so deeply rooted in their way of thinking that it interferes with their daily life. Unhealthy and obsessive thoughts, emotions and behaviors about eating “clean” or “healthy” food can drive people to isolate themselves from their friends and family, causing a strain on their social life and personal relationships. This is especially challenging during pregnancy, a time when depending on others for support is crucial.

Many people who become pregnant may not necessarily become obsessed with weight gain during their pregnancy but instead become hyper focused on the types of foods they put in their bodies. They will try to only eat organic, staying away from genetically modified organisms (GMO) and avoiding processed food out of fear that it may harm their unborn baby. Some may even refuse to take any medications or vitamins and decline routine prenatal tests during their pregnancy.

Although it is good to be aware of what you put in your body, becoming obsessed with healthy eating can cause more harm than good. Physical and mental health will be strained if too many food groups are restricted and may result in illness, injuries, poor decision-making and erratic behavior that affects every area of your life. The elimination of necessary nutrients and vitamins that should be passed to the baby through the placenta is especially dangerous, potentially causing developmental delays.

The following are known signs and symptoms of orthorexia:

• Obsession with avoiding foods that contain animal products, fats, sugar, salt, food coloring or dyes and pesticides
• Obsessive concern with food and the development of health consequences such as medical illnesses including asthma, allergies, and gastrointestinal problems
• Obsession with consuming supplements and vitamins
• An extreme limitation on food groups which may result in only consuming less than a total of ten ingredients
• Increased amount of time spent thinking about food
• Allowing one’s daily schedule to revolve around food
• Obsession with meal preparation
• Irrational concern about food preparation techniques and cleanliness of the kitchen
• Avoidance of food prepared or brought by others
• Extreme feelings of guilt or shame when consuming “unhealthy” foods
• Feelings of power and satisfaction when consuming only healthy foods
• Refusing to go out to eat or allow oneself to be around other types of food
• Isolating oneself from others because they do not share the same beliefs

Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is classified as an extreme preoccupation with maintaining a below-average body weight. The person suffering from anorexia will eat very little to nothing at all, resulting in starvation, and sometimes practice self-purging behaviors such as vomiting, using laxatives, diuretics and extreme exercising to reduce caloric intake. This is incredibly dangerous for any person, as it can result in death if untreated. Certainly this is a very dangerous environment for an unborn baby, which makes a viable pregnancy even more difficult.

Known signs and symptoms of anorexia surface when a person:

Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by eating lots of food in a short time period and purging by self-induced vomiting, taking laxatives or excessively exercising to deal with feelings of guilt and shame for binging. This binge-purge cycle is difficult to break alone and is often brought up in an unsuccessful attempt to control the changing body during pregnancy. Purging is dangerous for the pregnant person and their baby because of the risk of malnutrition.

When to seek treatment

A rise in the obsession with having a certain body shape during pregnancy has risen due to the widespread increase of social media ads, clothing sites, videos and images of trim, toned bodies sporting a baby bump. A surplus of fitness apps featuring bodies that barely look pregnant aside from a rounder belly adds extra pressure to be slim throughout pregnancy and “bounce back” fast after giving birth. These unrealistic, harmful societal ideals are simply not the way most pregnant people are built, and trying to fit their bodies into an impossible mold can cause a world of harm for pregnant parents and their unborn children.

All of these combined factors have resulted in an increase in body dissatisfaction and can lead to an increase in exercise and decrease in food intake during pregnancy in an attempt to reach unattainable goals. It is important to remember that your baby needs sufficient food and nutrients to grow appropriately. Eliminating eating food altogether or certain food groups because they are processed, packaged or non-organic can result in an unhealthy obsession that leads to disorders such as orthorexia, anorexia or bulimia which can harm your unborn baby.

If you feel you are experiencing triggers during pregnancy to either binge, purge or restrict food, it is imperative that you seek nutritional counseling, therapy and/or medical care immediately in order to ensure your baby is receiving enough nutrients and making appropriate progress throughout the pregnancy.

If you or someone you know is struggling with disordered eating behaviors while pregnant, Center for Discovery is here for you. Our experienced teams specialize in treatment for eating disorders, mental health and dual diagnosis treatment with unique treatment programs for every individual to get them on their way to eating disorder recovery.

You’re never alone in your journey when you’re with us. Once you complete treatment, you’ll have unlimited free access to our virtual support system Discovery for Life™. You’ll also get Discovery365™, a  unique AI-powered 16-point interactive assessment and check-in program. With this revolutionary safety net, we use breakthrough, proprietary technology to intervene when you need additional support during the most crucial time in recovery within the first year.

Contact us today to speak confidentially with one of our caring admissions counselors and discover how you’ve always had the power within yourself to overcome life’s challenges!