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11 Best Books About Eating Disorders for 2022

Published: February 18, 2022 Updated: November 24, 2022
Published: 02/18/2022 Updated: 11/24/2022
Headshot of Melissa Boudin, PsyD
Written by:

Melissa Boudin

PsyD
Headshot of Rajy Abulhosn, MD
Reviewed by:

Rajy Abulhosn

MD
  • General Books About Eating DisordersGeneral Books
  • Books on Self-Love for Those With Disordered EatingSelf-Love
  • Memoirs About Those With Eating DisordersMemoirs
  • When to See a Therapist for an Eating DisorderFind a Therapist
  • Additional ResourcesResources
Headshot of Melissa Boudin, PsyD
Written by:

Melissa Boudin

PsyD
Headshot of Rajy Abulhosn, MD
Reviewed by:

Rajy Abulhosn

MD

Eating disorders affect 20 million women and 10 million men in the U.S., according to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA). They can cause dangerous health concerns and can be deadly in serious cases. These books on eating disorders are for those who are struggling with either anorexia, bulimia, or another eating disorder, as well as their loved ones.

For our audience’s convenience, we include links to Amazon so recommended books can be easily purchased. Choosing Therapy may earn a commission from Amazon when purchases are made using the links on this page. Read more about our high editorial standards and advertising policy.

General Books About Eating Disorders

Whether you’re a loved one looking for ways to support someone with an eating disorder or you’re dealing with one yourself, these handbooks, guides, and informative reads provide all you need to know.

Eating Disorder Sourcebook1. Eating Disorder Sourcebook

Therapist Carolyn Costin provides the groundwork for understanding eating disorders, including identifying triggering behaviors, understanding underlying causes, and considering the right treatment for you.

This book includes Costin’s 30 years of research as well as the newest information to provide thorough and meticulous information for loved ones and those with an eating disorder.

Surviving an Eating Disorder2. Surviving an Eating Disorder: Strategies for Family & Friends

This book addresses the “silent sufferers:” those who are often directly affected by a loved one’s eating disorder and the havoc it can cause in relationships, families, and life. It uses a clinical perspective to help loved ones understand what someone with an eating disorder is going through while recognizing the emotional effects for everyone involved.

Change is hard for everyone, and this book combats the common pitfalls and challenges a family may face when addressing a loved one’s eating disorder.

Talking to Eating Disorders3. Talking to Eating Disorders: Simple Ways to Support Someone With Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge Eating, Or Body Image Issues

The best intentions, especially when talking to someone with an eating disorder, can still leave unintentional damage on someone’s body image and even lead to body dysmorphia. Understanding how language can affect someone in recovery or add to ongoing problems is one step towards supporting them in the way they need.

This book provides real-world exercises for tough questions like, “Am I too fat?” and even includes a section for talking to children about body image.

When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder4. When Your Teen Has an Eating Disorder: Practical Strategies to Help Your Teen Recover from Anorexia, Bulimia, & Binge Eating

Teenagers are especially susceptible to harmful messages about body image, weight, and their looks, especially through social media. Puberty and societal expectations can deal a hefty blow against a teenager’s confidence, and they may turn to unhealthy habits as a result.

If that’s your teen, this book provides real techniques rooted in family-based treatment (FBT) that empowers families to support their teen with nutritional rehabilitation, normalize eating behaviors, and teach intuitive eating habits, all with compassion and confidence.

Find a therapist that specializes in eating disorders. BetterHelp has over 20,000 licensed therapists who provide convenient and affordable online therapy. BetterHelp starts at $60 per week. Complete a brief questionnaire and get matched with the right therapist for you.

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by BetterHelp

Visit BetterHelp

Books on Self-Love for Those With Disordered Eating

Eating disorders are often rooted in the feeling of not being good enough: Either not being skinny enough, or pretty enough, or having been shamed for your size and weight. Cultivating body acceptance as a form of self-love can be part of eating disorder recovery.

The Diet Survivor's Handbook5. The Diet Survivor’s Handbook: 60 Lessons in Eating, Acceptance, & Self-Care

Diet culture has a massive role in eating disorders, so it’s worth mentioning—diets typically don’t work. Not only do they not work, but they are hazardous to your health and can cause your body to yo-yo between weight gain and weight loss. This can be devastating to someone struggling with an eating disorder and cause them to relapse. This handbook, with lessons in self-care, acceptance, and mindful eating, can be one part of a treatment plan to address the root of eating disorders.

Body Respect6. Body Respect: What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, & Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight

It is impossible to talk about eating disorders without talking about the very real societal effects they stem from. The fear of obesity is real, from a health perspective as well as a beauty standard, and the resulting anxiety leans heavily into eating disorders.

Dr. Linda Bacon and Dr. Lucy Aphramor argue that the common myth “fat is bad” could be harmful to overall health and that it’s time to take a serious look at health, obesity, fat shaming, and the damage dieting culture has done to society.

Body Kindness: Transform Your Health from the Inside Out–& Never Say Diet Again7. Body Kindness: Transform Your Health from the Inside Out–& Never Say Diet Again

Treating your body with compassion is not an easy skill for some; if you struggle with an eating disorder, it likely feels impossible. Learn how to love your body by recognizing the impact your mind and emotions have on your well-being, as well as creating healthy, mindful habits that let you grow love and acceptance for the body you have.

Memoirs About Those With Eating Disorders

Sometimes, you need to know you’re not alone. These memoirs provide stories of hope, healing, and the comforting knowledge of knowing exactly what it’s like to live with an eating disorder.

Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat8. Not All Black Girls Know How to Eat: A Story of Bulimia

There is a common, and inaccurate, stereotype that eating disorders mostly happen in privileged white women. Stephanie Covington Armstrong’s powerful memoir proves that is not the case.

In a deeply personal and moving book, Armstrong outlines how poverty and childhood trauma impacted her confidence to the point where she had none. As she sought help for her eating disorder, the heavily-white spaces created didn’t seem to have room for her. Armstrong wrote this for every Black woman who felt like they couldn’t find the mental health care they needed.

Positively Caroline: How I beat bulimia for good... & found real happiness9. Positively Caroline: How I beat bulimia for good… & found real happiness

This memoir stands out for not just the inspiring story of a woman who recovered from bulimia once but continues to thrive and survive in the face of relapse. Caroline Adams Miller outlines how she continues to establish healthy, mindful habits in regards to her eating during tough stages in her life, such as in pregnancy or when trying to model healthy behavior for her kids.

Brave Girl Eating: A Family's Struggle with Anorexia10. Brave Girl Eating: A Family’s Struggle with Anorexia

This family memoir illustrates the devastating effects of anorexia on a family, particularly in the author’s daughter. It catalogs all the terrifying details of seeing a loved one driven to near-starvation as well as the hopeful resolution of health renewed.

How to Disappear Completely: On Modern Anorexia11. How to Disappear Completely: On Modern Anorexia

Kelsey Osgood wasn’t dealing with anorexia herself, but she actively sought it out, scouring memoirs and stories of those who did, documenting their extreme eating habits and rigorous exercise regimes. Here, she unpacks the trauma and harrowing experience of being a young person with an eating disorder with painfully honest storytelling.

When to See a Therapist for an Eating Disorder

This is important: if left untreated, an eating disorder can cause lasting physical and emotional damage, and in extreme cases, death. If you’re suffering from an eating disorder, consider seeing a therapist. A qualified, trained professional can help you heal your relationship with your body and find healthy ways to move forward. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s a directory for therapists in your area.

Additional Resources

Education is just the first step on our path to improved mental health and emotional wellness. To help our readers take the next step in their journey, Choosing Therapy has partnered with leaders in mental health and wellness. Choosing Therapy may be compensated for marketing by the companies mentioned below.

Talk Therapy 

Online-Therapy.com – Get support and guidance from a licensed therapist. Online-Therapy.com provides 45 minute weekly video sessions and unlimited text messaging with your therapist for only $64/week. Get started  Get Started

Virtual Psychiatry

Talkiatry Get help from a real doctor that takes your insurance. Talkiatry offers medication management and online visits with top-rated psychiatrists. Take the online assessment and have your first appointment within a week. Free Assessment

DBT Skills Course

Jones Mindful Living Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a popular treatment for BPD. Learn DBT skills with live weekly classes and online video courses for only $19 per month. Free One Week Trial

Choosing Therapy Directory 

You can search for therapists by specialty,  experience, insurance, or price, and location. Find a therapist today.

Choosing Therapy partners with leading mental health companies and is compensated for marketing by Jones Mindful Living, Online-Therapy.com, and Talkiatry.

For Further Reading

  • Best Eating Disorder Recovery Apps
  • Eating Disorder Statistics & Resources
  • Looking for a professional to talk to? Check out the top online therapy options for 2022.
  • Eating Disorder Recovery Blogs

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Headshot of Melissa Boudin, PsyD
Written by:

Melissa Boudin

PsyD
Headshot of Rajy Abulhosn, MD
Reviewed by:

Rajy Abulhosn

MD
  • General Books About Eating DisordersGeneral Books
  • Books on Self-Love for Those With Disordered EatingSelf-Love
  • Memoirs About Those With Eating DisordersMemoirs
  • When to See a Therapist for an Eating DisorderFind a Therapist
  • Additional ResourcesResources
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