Twenty million women and ten million men in the United States will develop eating disorders within their lifetime, with serious physical, mental, and social consequences for their overall well-being. With such serious consequences, eating disorders are a major public health crisis that must be addressed. This literature review examined prevalence rates of eating disorders among four major racial and ethnic groups in the United States, including Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Asian Americans, and Native Americans, as well as disparities in diagnosis and treatment that affect these respective groups. Using the social determinants of health as a theoretical framework, this literature review explored how environmental and social factors can contribute to high prevalence rates of eating disorders among racial and ethnic minority groups.

Caroline Doherty would like to thank her mentor, Dr. Ajlina Karamehic-Muratovic, for exposing her to the many ways that social determinants of health impact health outcomes, for encouraging her as she applied to medical school, and for her support of this project.