Increasing visibility of the neurobiology of eating disorders in youth – a commentary on Hagan et al. (2025)

Eating disorders (EDs) are among the most severe psychiatric conditions emerging in adolescence, yet they remain markedly underrepresented within neuroscience and developmental psychopathology research. Building on the review by Hagan et al., this commentary proposes four key expansions to advance neurobiological research in youth with EDs: adoption of transdiagnostic approaches, inclusion of broader developmental and longitudinal time frames, implementation of more rigorous and replicable methodological frameworks, and deeper interdisciplinary integration. Together, these directions aim to more fully capture neurobiological mechanisms underlying ED onset, maintenance, and recovery across development, with the goal of anchoring this research more firmly within child and adolescent psychiatry. Taken together, the work by Hagan et al. serves as both a synthesis of the field and a call to action toward a more integrated and developmentally informed understanding of eating disorders.