Eating Disorders & Meat Consumption: A Meta-Analytic Review

In this meta-analytic review, we examined the current evidence on eating disorders in relation to meat consumption and meat abstention. We systematically searched six online databases in December 2025 for primary research on eating disorder-related variables in meat consumers and meat abstainers. Fifty-one studies with 55,984 participants (nmeat consumers = 44,282, nmeat abstainers = 9,751) met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The outcomes were eating disorders and orthorexia nervosa. Meat consumption was associated with lower eating disorder (g = 0.20, 95% CI [0.08, 0.32], p = .001) and orthorexia nervosa symptomology (g = 0.47, 95% CI [0.33, 0.61], p < .001) compared to meat abstention. Compared to vegetarians, meat consumers experienced lower eating disorder (g = 0.25, 95% CI [0.14, 0.37], p < .001) and orthorexia nervosa symptoms (g = 0.42, 95% CI [0.31, 0.52], p < .001). Vegans had higher orthorexia nervosa (g = 0.55, 95% CI [0.29, 0.80], p < .001) and lower eating disorder symptoms (g = -0.18, 95% CI [-0.34, -0.03], p < .001) compared to meat consumers. Study designs precluded inference of causal and temporal relations. With respect to clinical practice, our findings contribute to the ongoing diet-health debate.