THURSDAY, March 19, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Excessive smartphone use is associated with eating disorder symptoms and disordered eating behaviors, including uncontrolled eating and emotional overeating, as well as greater symptoms of food addiction, according to a review published online March 9 in JMIR Mental Health.
Johanna Keeler, Ph.D., from King's College London, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to examine the association between problematic smartphone use (PSU) and eating disorder psychopathology and related outcomes.
Based on 35 included studies of nonclinical populations (no eating disorder diagnosis; 52,584 individuals; mean age, 17.0 years), the researchers found that most reported a positive association between PSU and eating disorder psychopathology, which was largely similar across age groups and countries. This association was mediated by greater emotional regulation difficulties and anxious and depressive symptoms. There were also positive associations across studies between PSU and several eating disorder-related outcomes, including food addiction, body dissatisfaction, uncontrolled eating, and emotional overeating, though most outcomes were rated low-certainty. There was a consistent relationship between daily smartphone screen time and higher eating disorder psychopathology.
"It is apparent from our study that, even for people without a diagnosis of an eating disorder, the overuse of a smartphone is associated with poor body satisfaction and altered eating behaviors, and is a potential source of distress," senior author Ben Carter, Ph.D., also from King's College, said in a statement.