The return of extreme thinness and the non-clinical use of GLP-1 agonists: a blind spot in current eating disorder classification systems?

Authors

  • Thaíse Lyra Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7125-9576
  • Gabriella Zimmer Monteiro Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil https://orcid.org/0009-0004-3176-3729
  • Natalia dos Anjos Mello Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil
  • Barbara Prodossimo Fontoura Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25118/2763-9037.2026.v16.1667

Keywords:

eating desorders, Body Dysmorphic Disorders, body image

Abstract

This letter discusses the comparison between DSM-5 and ICD-11 for eating disorders (ED) published by Hiluy et al. in this journal, proposing that the recent resurgence of an extreme-thinness aesthetic ideal, driven mainly by social media and the non-clinical popularization of GLP-1 agonist use, reveals a gap in current diagnostic criteria. The sociocultural pressure faced by women today cannot be ignored in this context. It argues for the need for active clinical vigilance regarding aesthetic behaviors that, although not new, have found a new tool in their favor (GLP-1 agonists).

 

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Author Biographies

Thaíse Lyra, Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil

http://lattes.cnpq.br/3011446579859194
Especializanda, Psiquiatria, Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil; paralelamente realiza pós-graduação em Preceptoria , Hospital Moinhos de Vento (20252026), Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil

Gabriella Zimmer Monteiro, Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil

http://lattes.cnpq.br/8422116726743900 
Especializanda, Psiquiatria, Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil

Natalia dos Anjos Mello, Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil

http://lattes.cnpq.br/8288164562978053

Residente, Psiquiatria, Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7215-6782

Barbara Prodossimo Fontoura, Hospital Heidelberg, Curitiba, PR, Brasil

Second-year Psychiatry Resident at Hospital Heidelberg – Curitiba.

 

References

1. Hiluy J, Nunes FT, Pedrosa MAA, Appolinário JCB. Os transtornos alimentares nos sistemas classificatórios atuais: DSM-5 e CID-11. Debates Psiquiatr. 2019;9(3):6-13. https://doi.org/10.25118/2763-9037.2019.v9.49

2. Mingoia J, Hutchinson AD, Wilson C, Gleaves DH. The Relationship between Social Networking Site Use and the Internalization of a Thin Ideal in Females: A Meta-Analytic Review. Front Psychol. 2017;8:1351. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01351 PMid:28824519 PMCid:PMC5545754

3. Bartel S, McElroy SL, Levangie D, Keshen A. Use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in eating disorder populations. Int J Eat Disord. 2024;57(2):286-93. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.24109 PMid:38135891

4. Krug I, Dang AB, Portingale J, Li Y, Won YQ. Beyond Weight Loss: GLP-1 Usage and Appetite Regulation in the Context of Eating Disorders and Psychosocial Processes. Nutrients. 2025;17(23):3735. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17233735 PMid:41374025 PMCid:PMC12694361

5. Santomauro DF, Melen S, Mitchison D, Vos T, Whiteford H, Ferrari AJ. The hidden burden of eating disorders: an extension of estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet Psychiatry. 2021;8(4):320-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(21)00040-7 PMid:33675688 PMCid:PMC7973414

Published

2026-09-21

How to Cite

1.
Lyra T, Monteiro GZ, Mello N dos A, Fontoura BP. The return of extreme thinness and the non-clinical use of GLP-1 agonists: a blind spot in current eating disorder classification systems?. Debates Psiquiatr. [Internet]. 2026 Sep. 21 [cited 2026 Sep. 27];16:1-5, e1667. Available from: https://revistardp.org.br/revista/article/view/1667

Issue

Section

Letters

Plaudit