Best Eating Disorder Books for Recovery and Healing

Estimated reading time: 16 minutes

Navigating eating disorder treatment and recovery can feel like uncharted territory for everyone involved. Whether you’re doing the healing yourself, supporting someone you care about, or working with clients as a clinician, having grounded, weight-inclusive resources makes a difference. I created this blog post to curate some of the best eating disorder books that educate from a weight inclusive, nonjudgmental lens.

Eating disorders are often misrepresented in the media and reduced to stereotypes, typically portrayed as something that affects only very thin people, or something that is solely about appearance. That isn’t the reality for most people struggling with an eating disorder.

Yes, sometimes body image is involved, but eating disorders go much deeper than that. At their core, they’re a signal from your body and nervous system that something feels unsafe or that a major need is not being met.

And eating disorders do not have a “look”. They affect people of all body sizes.

This list is not exhaustive, and it will continue to evolve over time. These are the books I feel comfortable recommending right now based on a non diet, weight inclusive, trauma informed approach.

This post isn’t medical or nutrition therapy advice. Check in with your therapist or dietitian before beginning any eating-disorder-related book.

*This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you!) if you purchase through my links. Thanks for supporting my work!

Understanding Eating Disorders Through a Non Diet Lens

Why Books Can Help (and When They Are Not Enough)

Books about eating disorders, whether they focus on anorexia, binge eating, or general recovery, can help reduce shame, offer validation, and provide education around what an eating disorder actually is. They can teach you about the nervous system, nutrition, the biology of restriction, and practical tools that support recovery.

It’s important to remember that books are supplemental. They’re not a replacement for therapy, nutrition counseling, or a treatment team. If treatment is accessible to you, working with a team is the safest and most effective approach.

Books can also cause harm when they are rooted in diet culture or weight centric beliefs. Red flags include misinformation like “binge eating disorder only affects people in larger bodies” or “anorexia nervosa only occurs in thin individuals.”

Some memoirs include detailed descriptions of behaviors, numbers, or dramatic weight changes that may not be helpful if you are in a more vulnerable stage of recovery. Choosing resources that uphold a weight inclusive, trauma informed perspective is key.

Types of Eating Disorder Books

There is no one right resource for everyone, because recovery is not one size fits all. Different books support different parts of the healing process, and it helps to understand what type of book might be most useful depending on where you are.

• Educational books focus on the science and psychology of eating disorders. They explain how the brain, nervous system, metabolism, and environment interact. These are especially helpful for reducing self blame and helping loved ones understand what is going on.
• Skills based books and workbooks are more interactive and include exercises, journaling prompts, and step by step frameworks. These can be grounding if you struggle with structure or feel stuck in certain behaviors.
• Memoirs can help you feel deeply seen, but they are not the safest choice for everyone. Many include specific details that can be triggering, so timing and emotional readiness matter.
• Books for loved ones and clinicians are aimed at parents, partners, friends, and providers who want to understand eating disorders and support recovery in a non shaming way.

Best Eating Disorder Books for Overall Recovery

These are some of the best eating disorder books I recommend most often because they offer accurate education, compassion, and a non diet approach to understanding eating disorders.

Each one provides something different, from medical insight to nervous system grounding, trauma informed care, or guidance for stepping away from chronic dieting.

• Sick Enough by Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani
  A medical guide written from a weight inclusive, nonjudgmental perspective. It explains how restriction, purging, and malnutrition affect the body without fear tactics or diet culture messaging. It is especially validating if you struggle to feel “sick enough” or if your symptoms have been dismissed because of your body size.
• The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery by Carolyn Costin and Gwen Schubert Grabb
  A mix of professional guidance and lived experience. It breaks recovery down into realistic stages and helps people understand what to expect mentally and emotionally throughout the process.
• Reclaiming Body Trust by Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant
  A trauma informed, nervous system focused guide to rebuilding trust with your body. This book is supportive for anyone who feels disconnected from hunger cues, stuck in body shame, or unsure how to reconnect after years of dieting or an eating disorder.
• Body Respect by Lindo Bacon and Lucy Aphramor
  A clear, science backed explanation of why weight is not a behavior and why diet culture harms health. It offers an alternative framework for health that does not rely on weight control and is useful for clients, families, and clinicians.
• Anti Diet by Christy Harrison
  A very accessible book for people who feel caught in the binge and restrict cycle. It breaks down the history of diet culture and explains how dieting affects metabolism, hunger cues, and the feeling of being out of control around food.
• Unapologetic Eating by Alissa Rumsey
  A supportive guide to healing your relationship with food and body by exploring values, autonomy, and body liberation. Especially helpful if you are tired of swinging between dieting and “giving up.”
• The Intuitive Eating Workbook by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
  A practical, structured workbook that supports reconnecting with hunger and fullness cues, challenging all or nothing food rules, and rebuilding trust with food. It is especially helpful if you need grounding, structure, or gentle guidance.
• What We Do Not Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon
  A crucial read for understanding weight stigma, bias in the medical system, and how these experiences influence eating behaviors and body image.
• Binge Eating Disorder: The Journey to Recovery and Beyond by Amy Pershing and Chevese Turner
  A non diet, trauma informed resource for understanding binge eating disorder. It weaves together biology, trauma, and compassion in a way that many people find deeply validating.

Feeling Overwhelmed? Start With These 5 Books

If you want support but don’t know where to begin, these are strong starting points that cover the medical, emotional, and practical sides of recovery without adding overwhelm:

• Sick Enough – for understanding the medical side of eating disorders in a validating, nonjudgmental way.
• The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery – for emotional insight and understanding the internal ED “voice.”
• Anti Diet – for stepping away from chronic dieting and understanding the binge–restrict cycle.
• Reclaiming Body Trust – for nervous system awareness, embodiment, and reconnecting with internal cues.
• The Intuitive Eating Workbook – for practical structure and guidance as you rebuild trust with food.

Best Books for Anorexia Recovery

Not all books written about anorexia are helpful or safe. Many reinforce stereotypes, glorify symptoms, or focus heavily on weight in a way that can be harmful.

The books below are ones I feel comfortable recommending because they approach anorexia through a compassionate, weight inclusive, and evidence based lens.

• Sick Enough by Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani: A validating resource that explains the medical effects of restriction without tying severity to weight or appearance.
• The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery by Carolyn Costin and Gwen Schubert Grabb. Clarifies the emotional and cognitive patterns unique to restrictive disorders and helps you understand why recovery can feel both comforting and terrifying.
• Reclaiming Body Trust by Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant
  Supports the work of reconnecting to internal cues and emotional safety after long term disconnection from the body, which is very common in anorexia recovery.
• The Intuitive Eating Workbook by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
  Most helpful once you are medically stable and working with a treatment team. It can support relearning hunger and fullness cues and gently challenging restrictive food rules.

Best Books for Binge Eating Disorder (BED)

Binge eating disorder is often misunderstood and unfairly blamed on willpower. In reality, it is closely linked to restriction, nervous system overwhelm, trauma, and unmet needs (like most eating disorders).

These books help explain binge eating through a non diet, compassionate lens and offer support without shame or pressure to pursue weight loss.

• Binge Eating Disorder: The Journey to Recovery and Beyond by Amy Pershing and Chevese Turner
  One of the strongest resources specifically for binge eating disorder. It explains binge eating through a trauma informed and nervous system lens and helps reduce shame around the binge and restrict cycle.
• Big Girl by Kelsey Miller
  A relatable look at binge and restrict patterns outside of the typical stereotypes. Helpful if you have felt isolated, misunderstood, or blamed for your relationship with food.
• What We Do Not Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon
  Important for binge eating disorder recovery because it addresses weight stigma, which often fuels shame and can intensify binge cycles.
• Landwhale by Jes Baker
  Validates larger body experiences and emotional eating patterns with honesty and care, which can be very supportive as you work through shame or self blame.
• Anti Diet by Christy Harrison. Helps you understand how dieting and restriction feed the binge–restrict cycle, making your eating behaviors feel reactive instead of intentional.
• The Intuitive Eating Workbook by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
  Supports rebuilding regular eating rhythms and reducing the restrict and binge cycle once you have some stability and support in place.

Best Eating Disorder Books for Loved Ones and Clinicians

Parents, partners, friends, and clinicians are often doing their best with limited education and a lot of confusing or outdated information.

These books help support people who are in a caregiving or professional role so they can respond in ways that are more helpful and less triggering.

If you’re in the need for free information of how to talk to someone with an eating disorder, here’s a blog post that will be helpful.

• Sick Enough by Dr. Jennifer Gaudiani
  Helpful for anyone who wants a clear, stigma free understanding of the medical realities of eating disorders. It can support families and clinicians in taking concerns seriously and advocating for adequate care.
• Body Respect by Lindo Bacon and Lucy Aphramor
  Ideal for support people who have internalized diet culture or weight bias. It offers a different way to think and talk about health that reduces harm.
• Reclaiming Body Trust by Hilary Kinavey and Dana Sturtevant
  Useful for understanding how trauma, shame, and disconnection affect someone’s relationship with food. It can help loved ones and clinicians show up with more emotional safety and less pressure.
• Anti Diet by Christy Harrison: A useful resource for support people who want to avoid reinforcing diet culture and learn how to communicate without increasing shame.
• The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery by Carolyn Costin and Gwen Schubert Grabb Helps loved ones make sense of the conflicting thoughts and fear-driven patterns someone may experience throughout recovery.

Additional Intuitive Eating and Anti Diet Books

These books are not eating disorder specific, but they deepen your understanding of intuitive eating, gentle nutrition, and why stepping away from dieting supports both physical and mental health.

• Intuitive Eating, 4th Edition by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch
  The foundational book on intuitive eating. It introduces the principles, explores diet culture, and offers a flexible, compassionate approach to eating.
• Live Nourished by Shana Minei Spence
  A non diet approach to nutrition that focuses on satisfaction, balance, and practicality rather than restriction or perfection.
• Gentle Nutrition by Rachael Hartley
  Explores how to incorporate nutrition in a way that supports health without sacrificing flexibility, pleasure, or your relationship with food.
• Health at Every Size by Lindo Bacon
  A deeper dive into weight science and how health can be approached without focusing on weight loss.
• The Wellness Trap by Christy Harrison
  Looks at how wellness culture, detoxes, and alternative health advice can become anxiety provoking and harmful, especially for people with a history of disordered eating.

Body Image, Weight Stigma, and Social Justice Books

These books focus on body image, weight stigma, and the systems that shape how we view bodies. They are especially helpful if you are working on body image, identity, or unpacking internalized beliefs about weight and worth. Also, check out this blog post that has practical tips for bad body image days.

• More Than a Body by Lindsay Kite and Lexie Kite
  Explores how to move from viewing your body as an object to experiencing it as an instrument that allows you to live your life.
• Fat Talk by Virginia Sole Smith
  A powerful look at how conversations about weight and health impact kids and adults, and how we can talk about bodies differently.
• “You Just Need to Lose Weight” by Aubrey Gordon
  Breaks down common myths and arguments about weight and health in a clear, accessible way.
• Hunger by Roxane Gay
  A deeply personal memoir about trauma, embodiment, and living in a larger body.
• The Art of Body Acceptance by Ashley Bennett
  Offers tools and reflections for moving toward body acceptance in a grounded, realistic way.
• Fearing the Black Body by Sabrina Strings
  Explores the racist roots of fatphobia and how they continue to shape modern diet culture.
• The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
  A call to radical self love and dismantling body hierarchy.
• What We Do Not Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon
  Centers lived experience of fatness and examines how systems and structures marginalize larger bodies.
• Landwhale by Jes Baker
  Uses humor and honesty to explore trauma, shame, and living in a larger body.
• Unapologetic Eating by Alissa Rumsey
  Also fits here as a resource for developing a more liberated, values aligned relationship with food and body.

Books for Raising Intuitive Eaters

If you are a parent or caregiver, these books can support you in nurturing a more peaceful relationship with food and body image in the next generation.

• How to Raise an Intuitive Eater by Sumner Brooks and Amee Severson
  A guide for parents who want to move away from food rules, pressure, and dieting in the home and instead support kids in trusting their bodies.
• Fat Talk by Virginia Sole Smith
  Also an essential read for parents who want to change how they talk about weight, health, and bodies with their kids.

Trauma and Nervous System Resources (Not Eating Disorder Specific)

These books are not eating disorder specific, but they can be helpful for understanding how trauma and nervous system states affect thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, including those related to food.

• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
  A well known book on how trauma is stored and expressed in the body. It can offer context for why certain reactions feel so strong or automatic. Because it can be activating for some readers, it is important to notice how you feel while reading and take breaks as needed.
• Practices for Embodied Living: Experiencing the Wisdom of Your Body―A Self Esteem Body Image Workbook by Hilary McBride: A somatic workbook that offers grounding practices to help you feel more at home in your body. Useful for nervous system regulation and body image work.

How to Choose the Right Eating Disorder Book for Your Stage of Healing

Not every book is right for every phase of recovery. Being thoughtful about what you choose can make a big difference in how supported you feel.

If You Are in Early Recovery

Focus on books that are grounding, stabilizing, and shame reducing.

Good options: Sick Enough, The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery, Reclaiming Body Trust. Or this blog post about the 10 intuitive eating principles and how they support recovery.

Look for:

• Support for safety, nourishment, and understanding what is happening
• Weight inclusive, trauma aware language

Consider waiting on:

• Memoirs with detailed descriptions of behaviors or numbers
• Books that focus heavily on body image before you are medically stable

If You Are Learning How to Nourish Your Body Consistently

Good options: The Intuitive Eating Workbook, Anti Diet, Live Nourished, Gentle Nutrition. Or this blog post about how to stop yo-yo dieting.

Look for:

• Gentle structure instead of rigid rules
• Support for regular meals and snacks
• Exercises rooted in self compassion

If Body Image Is Your Biggest Challenge

Good options: The Body Is Not an Apology, Body Respect, Reclaiming Body Trust, Landwhale, What We Do Not Talk About When We Talk About Fat, More Than a Body, The Art of Body Acceptance. Or this blog post about inaccurate language/information around bodies and health.

Look for:

• Books that center self worth, body grief, and identity
• Frameworks that address shame and social context, not just appearance

If You Are a Clinician or Support Person

Good options: Sick Enough, The Inside Scoop on Eating Disorder Recovery, Body Respect, Anti Diet, Health at Every Size, The Body Keeps the Score

Look for:

• Resources that challenge bias and diet culture
• Clear explanations you can share with clients or loved ones
• Approaches that align with weight inclusive, trauma informed care

Frequently Asked Questions About Eating Disorder Books

Final Thoughts

Choosing the right eating disorder book can make the healing process feel a little less confusing and a little more supported. Books can offer language, validation, and new ways of understanding what you are going through.

They are a tool, not a measure of how serious your experience is and not a replacement for care.

If you are navigating an eating disorder or working to repair your relationship with food and your body, you deserve support that honors your whole self.

If you want support applying these concepts to your own healing, you can explore my virtual nutrition counseling services, join my newsletter for weekly non-diet guidance, or continue reading more on my blog.