Eating Disorders and Gastrointestinal Issues: A Two-Way Relationship

Thrive • April 20, 2022

By Thrive Reno’s Primary Care Physician, Family Medicine Stephanie Wright, M.D.

WHAT ARE DISORDERS OF THE GUT-BRAIN INTERACTION (DGBI)?

Many individuals with eating disorders also have gastrointestinal issues, especially irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is considered to be a disorder of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). Also known as functional gastrointestinal disorders, DGBI serves to categorize a variety of digestive system disorders that can’t be explained by structural or tissue abnormalities within the gut.

Types of DGBIs include:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Functional heartburn
Functional constipation
Functional abdominal pain (FAP)
Functional diarrhea

DGBIs are characterized by:

A disturbance in normal bowel motility, or the movement of food through the digestive tract
Hypersensitivity of the intestine to pain in response to stimuli
A “leaky gut,” which describes changes to the permeability of the intestine in which bacteria can pass or leak through the walls of the intestine

SHARED SYMPTOMS OF DGBIs AND EATING DISORDERS

A variety of gastrointestinal problems are very common with eating disorders. As such, the symptoms of DGBI and eating disorders sometimes overlap.

Commonly shared symptoms of DGBIs and eating disorders include:

Early satiety, or feeling full after eating only a small amount
Constipation
Diarrhea
Nausea
Heartburn
Difficulty swallowing
Bloating
Upper abdominal discomfort

When a DGBI is present, examination by endoscopy or biopsy isn’t able to identify the physical cause, so DGBI diagnoses are based on symptoms. Some of these symptoms are associated with an eating disorder, while others can be due to a coexisting DGBI, such as IBS. With both eating disorders and DGBIs, the severity of one’s symptoms and their recovery can be impacted by stress, their psychological state, and the quality of social support they have. When individuals with eating disorders also experience a DGBI, IBS is most commonly the gastrointestinal concern.

PREVALENCE AND RISK FACTORS OF IBS

It’s estimated that as many as 20% of Americans suffer from IBS . Unfortunately, IBS doesn’t have a known cause, but there are some common risk factors. Individuals with IBS are more likely to have experienced stressful or traumatic events in early childhood, struggle with depression or anxiety , and/or have food sensitivities or intolerances.

It’s important to note that IBS isn’t caused by food. Certain foods can, however, provoke IBS symptoms, which varies by individual. The stress of experiencing digestive issues and the altered gut-brain response can contribute to problems associated with IBS.

Some of the IBS symptoms more directly related to eating disorders can be due to the eating disorder behaviors themselves. For example, early satiety and constipation can be attributed to chronic food restriction, bloating and abdominal pain can be brought on by binge eating, and heartburn and nausea can be related to purging.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EATING DISORDERS AND GASTROINTESTINAL ISSUES

The connection between eating disorders and gastrointestinal issues is well known within the medical field. Research shows that 88-95% of individuals with eating disorders have at least one DGBI, and 44-58% of those have IBS, specifically. However, at this time, there isn’t clear evidence that one disorder directly causes the other.

Often, individuals develop disordered eating behaviors prior to experiencing symptoms of IBS. When this is the case, IBS may ramp up the progression of food restriction as individuals attempt to avoid eating foods that may trigger IBS symptoms.

Other times, symptoms of IBS may manifest before the onset of an eating disorder. In this scenario, IBS can prompt disordered eating behaviors, beginning with the tendency of individuals suffering from IBS to exclude foods from their diet that disturb digestion.

SOLVING GUT PROBLEMS THAT CO-OCCUR WITH EATING DISORDERS

Gastrointestinal issues may encourage individuals to create unhealthy rules around eating, which can limit their ability to effectively nourish themselves while also severing their relationship with food and their bodies. As such, gut problems can pose a serious threat to eating disorder recovery. Fortunately, there are a variety of methods for improving gut problems that don’t involve hyper-focusing on one’s diet.

For individuals experiencing eating disorders, a multidisciplinary treatment team is necessary to mitigate eating disorder behaviors. The team should include a registered dietitian who can create a nutrition plan that addresses the eating disorder behaviors as well as the DGBI symptoms. Mental health support is also an essential component of recovery. A therapist may implement cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which can help decrease unhealthy food-related thought patterns and behaviors associated with both eating disorders and DGBI. As eating disorder behaviors decrease throughout treatment, the burden of DGBI symptoms generally also subsides. Thus, treating the eating disorder first also relieves most gut problems.

When appropriate, an individual’s treatment team may suggest certain changes to their diet with the intention of identifying triggering foods. Medication may also be prescribed to ease symptoms.

Gut problem treatment interventions may include:

Incorporating probiotics: Compounds found in fermented foods that can help balance gut bacteria.
Incorporating dietary fiber: Plant-derived substances that can promote healthy digestion for some.
A brief trial of a low FODMAP diet : FODMAPs, which stands for fermentable oligo-, di-, mono-saccharides, and polyols, are foods that are difficult for many to digest, especially when they’re experiencing IBS. Briefly decreasing the amount FODMAPs one eats can help determine if FODMAPs are causing gut problems.
A brief trial of a gluten-free diet: An approach that may be beneficial in finding out if gluten is contributing to gut problems.
Medications: To treat chronic nausea, heartburn, or abnormal gut motility.

In these instances, one’s treatment team will closely monitor the individual to ensure that dietary interventions are in fact beneficial and not exacerbating any disordered eating habits. Any recommendation for a trial of an elimination diet should be considered with extreme caution and balanced with the risk of over-restriction, which can harm eating disorder recovery.

INTEGRATED TREATMENT FOR EATING DISORDERS AND GUT PROBLEMS

Taking a multifaceted treatment approach, Thrive’s team of eating disorder specialists includes primary care providers, registered dietitians, psychiatrists, therapists, and more. In collaboration, our experts work to heal patients’ relationships with their food and bodies, while addressing their physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Reach out to learn more about our eating disorder treatment programs .

About the Author

Thrive Reno Primary Care Physician, Family Medicine Stephanie Wright, M.D.

Dr. Stephanie Wright completed medical school and family medicine residency training at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, serving as chief resident during her last year of training. Subsequently, she taught resident physicians and medical students as a faculty member in the Department of Family & Community Medicine at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, and served as the medical director for the Physician Assistant Studies Program. Dr. Wright’s experience spans medical education as well as outpatient and inpatient clinical medicine with particular interests in pediatric and adolescent care, diabetes management, dermatology, and mental health.

As a member of Thrive Wellness Reno’s primary care team, she is excited to utilize and broaden her skills alongside a team of compassionate clinicians and support staff. Dr. Wright believes primary care is an integral component of an all-encompassing, team-based approach to promoting physical, psychological, and social well-being. She is passionate about providing care for individuals and their families and takes pride in serving people of all ages, races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.

Dr. Wright was born in Columbus, Ohio, where she completed her elementary through undergraduate education at Ohio State University. While growing up, she spent her summers visiting family in Reno and moved to Nevada to attend medical school in 2005. Dr. Wright enjoys spending time with her husband and sons, exploring the outdoors, watching Ohio State Buckeyes football, traveling, and reading.

The post Eating Disorders and Gastrointestinal Issues: A Two-Way Relationship first appeared on Thrive Wellness.

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Your Guide to Higher Levels of Care: How to Decide Which Treatment Level is Right for Your Mental Health

By Erin McGinty Fort, MS, MHA, CPC, LPC-S, CEDS-C • December 18, 2025

Sometimes, people need more support, structure, and monitoring than the typical outpatient setting can provide. When this happens, the treatment team will usually recommend that someone be "stepped up" to a different level of care, or program, that can better meet their needs. I like to think of it as being similar to medication dosages; people need different strengths of medications, or dosages, to get better when they're sick. Stepping someone up to a higher level of care is like increasing the dosage of a medication to match the severity of their symptoms. How Are Higher Levels of Care Different from Standard Outpatient Care? At the core of differentiating higher levels of care from standard outpatient care is the intensity and structure of the treatment. Higher level of care programs tend to offer more days of treatment each week and more hours of treatment per day than in the outpatient setting. Those in higher level of care programs may also meet with their treatment team members more frequently each week. There are more staff present to support someone at or after meals and snacks, or to help those who are having urges to engage in compulsions or other harmful behaviors. Clients in our HLOC programs get access to an assortment of treatment modalities tailored to their individual needs, including personalized therapy sessions, group support, medication management, medical nutrition therapy with a dietitian, and check-ins with our primary care providers. We support clients with personalized treatment plans and regular assessments to monitor and tweak interventions as needed. Higher levels of care also offer increased peer interaction and support. Intensive programs incorporate additional group therapy sessions, which can help those in treatment feel less alone as well as create a greater sense of community. For some people, it can be difficult to devote the time and energy needed to recover while also balancing other responsibilities like school or work. Stepping up to more intensive levels of care allows people to fully dedicate themselves to recovery. As they get better and make progress, a person may be stepped back down to a less intensive level of care to start practicing their recovery in their usual home, school, or work settings while also receiving professional support from their treatment team. What Levels of Care are Available? At Thrive Wellness, we offer four different levels of care to help clients step up (or down) in their treatment when needed: - Outpatient Treatment - weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meetings with a therapist, psychiatrist, primary care provider, and/or dietitian. - Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) - A minimum of three hours per day, three days per week. - Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) - A minimum of six hours per day, five days per week. - Residential Treatment - Coming soon in 2026, The Greenhouse at Thrive will offer residential treatment for eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This level of care offers 24-hour support for those aged 12-24 living in our residential treatment center. How To Decide Which Level of Care is Right for You If you're unsure which option is right for you or your loved one, we offer a free assessment that can be completed with our admissions team. In this initial assessment, we'll gather information from you about what you're struggling with, speak with our team of providers, and then make a recommendation for what level of care we feel is the best fit for you and your needs. If you’re experiencing symptoms of an eating disorder, anxiety disorder, or other behavioral or mental health challenges, don’t hesitate to reach out. To get started with our intake process, give us a call at 775-525-8103 or fill out this form . We can’t wait to help you Thrive.

Family Inclusive Recovery: Healing Together in Eating Disorder and OCD Treatment

December 2, 2025

Like the fir tree, a symbol of endurance rooted in hope, our Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR) approach reflects the strength that grows when families face challenges together. At our new residential center “The Greenhouse”, FIR is more than a treatment model, it’s a philosophy of healing that places families at the heart of recovery for adolescents and young adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We believe lasting healing doesn’t happen in isolation; it’s built with the support of families through perseverance, hope, and compassionate care. What Is Family Inclusive Recovery (FIR)? Family Intensive Recovery (FIR) is a specialized and immersive approach that actively engages caregivers as central agents in their child’s healing process. Rather than seeing families as contributors to a problem, we view them as essential partners in recovery. Drawing from two evidence-based frameworks, Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) and Family-Based Treatment (FBT), FIR helps families cultivate resilience, confidence, and connection throughout the journey to recovery. Grounded in SPACE and FBT Through the SPACE model, parents learn how to recognize and reduce well-intentioned but unhelpful behaviors known as accommodations that can reinforce anxiety and OCD symptoms. By shifting from rescuing to supporting and challenging, parents develop the confidence to guide their child through discomfort, helping them build distress tolerance and self-trust. Simultaneously, Family-Based Treatment (FBT) empowers families to take an active, compassionate role in their child’s nutritional and emotional recovery. Parents learn how to support weight and nutritional restoration, disrupt the eating disorder’s patterns, and reestablish boundaries that promote health and growing autonomy. Together, these approaches strengthen both the individual and family system, allowing recovery to take root within an environment of empathy and optimism. From Blame to Collaboration A cornerstone of the FIR model is removing blame. At Thrive, parents are not viewed as the cause of their child’s struggles, but rather as key partners in recovery. Treatment focuses on joining forces to create a safe, supportive environment where: Families learn to sit with their child's discomfort alongside them without rushing to fix or control it. Parents practice compassionate firmness, setting boundaries grounded in care and safety. Teens and caregivers rebuild trust through open, honest communication. This collaborative framework helps families reestablish a sense of connection and confidence, fostering long-term resilience and open communication that extends beyond the treatment setting. Why Family Matters in Recovery Recovery from eating disorders, OCD, or anxiety isn’t a one-person job, it requires integrated care including the family. When families learn to navigate challenges together, they can model emotional regulation, reinforce healthy boundaries, and create conditions for sustained recovery. Through FIR, we aim to strengthen attachment bonds, reshape family interactions, and empower every member of the family to grow. The result is not only symptom reduction but also a deeper sense of unity, hope, and shared endurance, just like the steadfast fir tree that stands resilient through every season. Moving Toward Hope Family Inclusive Recovery invites caregivers and loved ones to become active participants in change. It’s a journey of learning, letting go, and leaning into love and acceptance. Together, families and clinicians can cultivate the courage in clients to face uncertainty, and in doing so, help them discover that recovery is not just possible, but enduring. If you’d like to learn more about Family Intensive Recovery at The Greenhouse or how we support families in eating disorder and OCD treatment, reach out to our team today.

Introducing Thrive's Greenhouse - Opening 2026

November 14, 2025

The Greenhouse at Thrive Wellness A New Chapter of Hope and Healing in Nevada On Friday, November 14 , we gathered with our partners at Molina Healthcare to share an important moment for our community. Together, we celebrated Molina’s generous $50,000 grant , an investment that is helping bring The Greenhouse to life. Their support is not only a financial contribution—it’s a statement of belief in the young people and families of Nevada who deserve access to compassionate, evidence-based mental healthcare close to home. This gathering marked the beginning of something we’ve dreamed about for years: a place designed specifically for adolescents and emerging adults to receive the care, connection, and support they need during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. Something New Is Growing In early 2026 , Thrive Wellness will open The Greenhouse , Nevada’s first residential treatment center devoted to adolescents and emerging adults navigating eating disorders, anxiety, and OCD . For too long, families have faced a heartbreaking dilemma—send their child far from home for treatment or go without the specialized care they need. The Greenhouse is our answer to that gap. It will be a place where young people can settle into an environment built for healing, where they are understood, supported, and surrounded by a team that believes in their capacity to recover. The Greenhouse represents a natural extension of our mission. It’s a living expression of our belief that recovery is possible—and that with the right support, families can find their footing again.