--- title: Do disordered eating symptoms change across the phases of the menstrual cycle? description: This study tracked several types of disordered eating every day for a full cycle to see if they differ between cycle phases, after accounting for body weight url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstrual-cycle-changes-in-dysregulated-eating-symptoms-2021/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - Do disordered eating symptoms change across the phases of the menstrual cycle? Survey study, 2021 # Do disordered eating symptoms change across the phases of the menstrual cycle? This study tracked several types of disordered eating every day for a full cycle to see if they differ between cycle phases, after accounting for body weight and mood, but the actual results of that comparison are not given in the information available, so no clear answer can be reported here. Early or limited evidence 20 women from the community, aged 18 to 45, with normal body weight ## What they did 20 women aged 18-45 with normal body weight were followed for about one menstrual cycle (~30 days). Each evening they answered questionnaires on loss of control eating, emotional eating, external eating, food preoccupation, cravings, and mood. Cycle phase was tracked with period dates, body temperature, and urine hormone strips, and compared across four phases. ## What they found The study describes the comparisons that were planned: loss of control eating, emotional eating, external eating, food preoccupation, and cravings across the four cycle phases and between before and after ovulation, with BMI and mood accounted for. The information available does not state which, if any, of these symptoms differed between phases. ## What it means for you Because the specific results aren't included in the information available, no practical takeaway about which cycle phase is hardest for eating symptoms can be given here. Even if results were included, the study only followed 20 women for one cycle each, so any findings would need to be confirmed in larger groups before being applied broadly. 20 women studied 18-45 age range in years ~30 days length of tracking (one menstrual cycle) ## About the study Original title Menstrual Cycle Changes in Dysregulated Eating Symptoms Authors Kimberly S. Stevens Journal Digital Scholarship - UNLV (University of Nevada Reno) Year 2021 Study design Survey study What was tested None. This was an observational tracking study, not a treatment trial. Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.34917/22110094](https://doi.org/10.34917/22110094) ## Topics [Menstrual cycle and mood](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-cycle-mood/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Appetite and food cravings](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-food-cravings/)[Eating disorders](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-eating-disorders/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Study, 2015 Does weight preoccupation change during the menstrual cycle, and what causes these changes? Randomised trial, 1995 Does a special carbohydrate drink help mood and thinking problems in PMS? Survey study, 2020 How common are premenstrual symptoms in secondary school students? Survey study, 2026 Is PMS worse in medical students with higher stress? Survey study, 2026 How do pain, sleep quality, and appetite change across the menstrual cycle? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗