One Reason Eating Disorder Behaviors Are Hard to Stop

Are you—or a loved one—seemingly compelled to diet, purge, binge, or exercise? If so, many people believe they are “weak” or “failing” and need to try harder. Yet another possibility is that the brain’s habit systems have become very strong, and you—or they—could be entering disordered eating or even eating disorder territory. Let me explain.

Though the following is oversimplified, a habit is a behavior that shifts from requiring attention and effort to happening with little conscious thought. Human beings often repeat behaviors that feel rewarding. Gradually, thoughts and actions connected to those rewards can become automatic patterns (Graybiel & Smith, 2014). From a neuroscience perspective, control of a behavior can gradually shift from deliberate decision-making systems toward more automated habit-learning circuits involving the striatum (Zikereya et al., 2023).

Put simply, the brain becomes efficient at doing what it practices. Behaviors that are enacted frequently (especially those tied to emotional relief, a sense of control, or perceived success) can become learned patterns. For example, think about brushing your teeth. When you first started as a child, it probably required reminders and concentration. Over time, it likely became routine.

This kind of efficiency is helpful in many parts of life. In fact, much of daily life depends on habits, allowing the brain to conserve energy by automating behaviors that once required effort and concentration. But this same efficiency can also make certain patterns difficult to interrupt once they become established.

Dieting Habits

Consider dieting, meaning restricting food intake below what the body needs to maintain weight. When someone repeatedly follows strict food rules—especially if those behaviors are tied to perceived rewards such as weight loss, health goals, or self-esteem—those actions can become increasingly automatic with practice.

At first, the behaviors may feel very intentional. Maybe it’s counting calories, skipping meals, or carefully choosing “safe” foods. Over time, however, those choices can begin to happen with little to no prior decision-making. Research has suggested that people with anorexia nervosa, an extreme example of repeated food restriction, may make food choices using brain circuits associated with habit learning (Foerde et al., 2015; Steinglass & Walsh, 2006; Uniacke et al., 2020). In other words, the brain may guide someone toward familiar restrictive patterns even when the person consciously wants to eat differently.

For someone who feels “always on a diet,” it may help to consider whether some dieting behaviors have become automatic habits that keep them stuck in that loop.

Binge Eating Habits

Early on, binge eating may be reinforced by experiences such as emotional relief, temporary escape from distress, or comfort. Over time, repeated binge eating can shift from deliberate actions to patterns that feel almost automatic.

It is also important to recognize restriction-driven binge eating. When the body does not receive enough food regularly, biological survival mechanisms can drive strong urges to eat, contributing to cycles of restriction followed by binge eating.

Purging Habits

Purging behaviors (vomiting or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas) can also shift from conscious decisions to automatic routines. Early motivations might include concerns about weight or relief from uncomfortable fullness. However, the behavior itself may become habitual if consistently repeated over time.

Ranging from throat irritation and swollen salivary glands to potentially dangerous electrolyte imbalances and heart complications, purging carries medical risks.

Exercise Habits

Exercise can also become rigid or compulsive when it is repeatedly reinforced by perceived rewards such as improved self-esteem, health, or weight change. Although exercise is often encouraged in our culture, patterns can become problematic when they begin interfering with daily life. Someone might feel unable to skip workouts, exercise despite illness or injury, or sacrifice relationships and responsibilities to maintain an exercise routine.

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That routine may look different from the “discipline” society often celebrates. In these situations, the behavior may begin to function less like a flexible health practice and more like something the person feels compelled to do.

A Different Way to Look at It

If you—or your loved one—is struggling with dieting, bingeing, purging, or compulsive exercise, thinking about habits may offer a useful perspective.

Repeated thoughts and behaviors can become ingrained. If you're not sure if your patterns are habits, maybe try an experiment: Just imagine a day of not doing them—dieting, purging, bingeing, or exercising—and see what comes up for you.

Here is the hopeful news: If change is needed, not engaging in destructive behaviors can become a habit of its own. The same process that forms habits can also support repair, health, and recovery. Though there is no exact formula for how long a habit takes to develop, practicing different, non-eating disorder-related behaviors consistently can gradually help the brain learn new routines (Lally et al., 2010).

Change often happens gradually rather than all at once. Interrupting cues, experimenting with different responses, and repeating new behaviors can slowly weaken old patterns and strengthen new ones.

Important note: This perspective is not meant to oversimplify eating disorders. They are complex conditions influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors, and conceptualizing some of their persistence as habits is only one piece of a much larger picture. Still, understanding the role of habits may offer something important: compassion. Instead of interpreting difficulty changing behaviors as personal failure, it may be more accurate to recognize how powerful learned patterns can become. With time, support, and repeated practice, new patterns can form.

Anyone engaging in behaviors related to eating disorders is strongly encouraged to seek professional guidance, as these behaviors and conditions can carry serious physical and mental health consequences.