Irregular periods? PMS? Look into your diet to see if you have some type of eating disorder, because it could be the reason behind your menstrual disharmoines.

If your periods are irregular and you wonder why, you may want to examine your relationship with foods because there’s an intimate connection between various eating disorders and reproductive health.
Eating Disorders Are Fairly Common Among Women
We all worry about our weight from time to time. But some people take such concerns to extremes.
By focusing too much on their weight and body shape, they can develop dangerous eating behaviors, ranging from binge eating, self-induced vomiting (Bulimia Nervosa), to self-starvation (Anorexia Nervosa).
The National Eating Disorders Association estimates that 10 million American women suffer from some type of eating disorder.
So this could be someone you know – a friend, lover, sister, daughter, or even yourself.
I myself developed a type of eating disorder called Bulimia Nervosa when I was in college. Even though I didn’t know it at the time, it profoundly affected my menstrual cycles (in negative ways).
An Eating Disorder May Be What Causes Irregular Periods
Eating disorders can cause serious health issues such as rotten teeth, depression, rickets, osteoporosis, and chronic vitamin deficiency.
According to recent studies, they can also increase the chances of a woman having irregular periods.
Anorexia and Amenorrhea
While any eating disorder can result in the disruption of the menstrual cycle, Anorexia, in particular, has been linked to low levels of reproductive hormones. This is fairly easy to understand.
When you are starved, your body reacts to the lack of nutrition by trying to conserve energy as much as possible.
It’ll only maintain the most important functions of the body to keep you alive, while shutting off less critical ones such as manufacturing reproductive hormones to make a baby.
If the reproductive hormones become lower than what’s required to regulate a monthly cycle, the period will stop all together. When the cession of menstrual cycles lasts for three consecutive months, it’s called amenorrhea (which simply means no period).
Amenorrhea and Bulimia Nervosa
Amenorrhea can happen to people with other eating disorders as well. In my own case, I was so thin that my periods stopped for 6 months. Even though my cycle returned after I went back to eating normally, I suffered from severe menstrual cramps and PMS in my later years.
During puberty, when a girl’s reproductive system is still developing, the negative effects of eating disorders can be especially significant and long-lasting – and unfortunately, this is the time when eating disorders are most common.
What to Do When You Have an Eating Disorder
Eating disorders are serious conditions that can even be life threatening. If you suspect you’re suffering from an eating disorder, you need to talk to a doctor and seek professional help.
You may also want to educate yourself and learn more about the causes, effects, and how you can create a healthier relationship with your body and foods.
P.S. There is an interesting book titled “Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too.” It’s worth checking it out.
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Dear Jing,
Many thanks for this article. I am 30 years old and suffered from anorexia + bulimia + orthorexia in my early 20’s. At age 25 I hit rock bottom at a fat% at 3% (!) and haven’t had a period since March 2010. I am stable in normal weight again (for 5 years) and have a body fat percentage around 22%. I just got my blood test done and it only showed low levels of estrogen (no surprise). The doctor told me that it requires hormonal medicinal treatment, but I am very well educated (auto-didact and through internships + freelance work/research by various health practitioners) in natural healing, thus I am fairly certain it CAN be treated and reversed naturally. I have never been on the pill. I eat whole foods based diet and have been for +6 years. Rarely drink alcohol, don’t smoke etc. So my question to you, I guess, is your opinion on the likelihood of the possibilities for natural recovery. My acupuncturist + quantum medicine/naturopaths I know are certain it can be done. Though they aren’t specified in hormonal imbalances.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.
Best regards,
Marie
Hi Marie, Thanks for sharing your journey. Your courage and resourcefulness will serve you well on your healing journey. Yes, I believe in the body’s amazing ability to heal itself. It seems that you’re doing all the right things!
Hi,
I just had a question. I have suffered from anorexia for 9 years and have been without a period for 8 and a half years. I am now 24. A month and a half again I got a period (short only 4 days and very light) for the first time in recovery. I am well into recovery at a BMI of around 18.5-19 right now. But it has now been a month and a half since that ‘period’ if thats what it even was and my question is..
When you get your period back from not having it for so long is it normal for you to get it and then not get it again for a while?
Thanks
Hi Charlotte, I’m so glad to hear that you’re on your way to reovery. In my late teens I also suffered from Anorexia and I lost my periods for about half a year. When I started to eat normal, my period came back. It’ll take some time especially when you had no periods for such a long time. Expect some irregularities along the way. Be patient and focus on taking good care of yourself. Slowly but surely, your hormones will rebalance and your cycles will return to normal.