Music, perfectionism and the ultra thin – the normalisation of disordered eating
Eating Disorder Awareness Week might last for 7 days, but pressures facing musicians around body image are inherent and must be challenged
By Philippa Booth
When writing about eating disorders (EDs), there are a number of statistics that are often used to emphasise the severity of the problem: anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder; in 2022, ED-related hospitalisations were reported to have increased by 84% in the last five years; only 1% of the UK’s mental health research funding is spent on EDs, despite an estimated 1.25 million people suffering in the UK alone; and some individuals with ‘severe and enduring eating disorders’ (SEED) are being labelled ‘treatment-resistant’ and placed on palliative care pathways, where full recovery is no longer considered possible even by their own treatment teams.
These facts are undoubtedly horrifying, and highlight the urgent need for further research and improvements in treatment. But in focusing on these extreme cases, we risk overlooking a potentially even more pervasive problem: that disordered eating is not just common, but entirely normalised, and even glorified in today’s society.
This is glaringly apparent in all corners of the music industry. Ultra-thin bodies saturate the media; musicians, actors, presenters, all manner of celebrity personalities across the spectrum of showbusiness – all are held to increasingly unattainable body standards. This has become so absurdly normalised that comedian Nikki Glaser recently dubbed 2025’s Golden Globes as ‘Ozempic’s biggest night’.
But this should not be normal. It should not be normal for musicians, particularly women, to have their weight micromanaged by their managers and labels, as highlighted in the Women and Equalities Committee’s 2024 report ‘Misogyny in Music’. It should not be normal for a singer to walk into their first lesson and hear, ‘If you lose half a stone, this might work’. And yet, for too many musicians, this is the reality.
Musicians already face significant challenges in a society that is increasingly devaluing the arts: financial insecurity, job instability, anxiety, depression, intense competition, and the relentless demand (particularly with the rise of social media) to be not just talented, but also marketable. Perfectionism in particular – a well-established risk factor for disordered eating – runs deep in many performing musicians, as Mainwaring and Mor (2018) eloquently summarise:
‘The paradox of perfectionism is that in the general population the unyielding pursuit of being perfect is considered pathological, whereas in the performing arts, pursuing a perfect performance is inherent to the nature of the profession. Clearly, performers face daunting tasks: each performance is expected to be better than the one before and the elusive goal of the perfect performance is ever-present. Furthermore, an added stressor for performers is the awareness that the audience also expects a perfect performance, which essentially is never defined or determined.’
Though of course, despite the grim picture I’m painting, being a musician is fulfilling in many ways. If you asked a group of professional musicians to rate their enjoyment of ‘being a musician’ on a scale of 1 to 10, I’m sure many would likely score highly despite the many challenges. The power of music in improving mental health has been widely researched, particularly the benefits of group music-making, and musicians also often report a strong sense of purpose in their work. Performance is a high-risk but high reward profession – so much so that it has even been compared to gambling addiction.
‘In focusing on extreme cases, we risk overlooking a potentially even more pervasive problem: that disordered eating is not just common, but entirely normalised’
Sadly, a sense of purpose alone does not erase the often relentless pressures placed on musicians. And the reality is that disordered eating is likely everywhere in the industry, but it remains dangerously unnoticed, buried under layers of stigma.
Perhaps this is because many people with disordered eating don’t always fit the stereotypical image that comes to mind – the skinny, white, affluent girl, a stereotype so common it even has its own name (the ‘SWAG’ stereotype) . But disordered eating can affect anyone, of any background, gender, ethnicity, shape, size and walk of life. Many people struggling with their relationship with food, exercise and body image feel they are ‘not sick enough’, not the ‘right type of sick’, or not struggling in the ‘right way’ to warrant concern, or help. Their lives may be consumed by cycles of calorie counting, restricting, bingeing, purging, excessive exercise - disordered behaviours that ebb and flow, perhaps never quite regularly enough to meet the criteria for a diagnosis, but ever-present.
These people deserve recognition, support, and protection, just as much as those with a formal diagnosis.
The responsibility falls on all of us, but particularly on educators, managers, and industry leaders, to create environments where disordered eating is neither ignored nor encouraged within the music industry. We must challenge the normalisation of harmful behaviours, reject industry standards that equate talent with appearance, and speak up when we see musicians suffering in silence.
The music industry thrives on creativity, self-expression, and passion. But it cannot afford to turn a blind eye to the cost at which these often come. Addressing disordered eating in musicians isn’t just about helping individuals - it’s about ensuring a healthier, more sustainable industry for everyone.
If you are a musician who has experience of disordered eating, please consider taking part in the following anonymous 15-20 minute survey as part of my PhD project, which ultimately aims to understand how we can protect against the development of disordered eating in musicians. Please follow this link to learn more about the project and complete the survey: https://forms.office.com/e/ibSz7HSpp9
If you have been affected by any of the issues discussed in this blog post or in the above research, please do make use of the following sources of support:
Beat (UK's leading Eating Disorder charity) - support is available through a helpline (available 3pm-8pm, Monday to Friday), one-to-one webchat, and email. Please visit www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/get-help-for-myself for regional phone numbers and links.
Music Minds Matter - this free and confidential helpline will connect you with a counsellor: 0808 802 8008.
Samaritans - 24/7 support available on 116 123.
If you are a student, your institution's student support services.
Your GP.