Colorism and eating disorders (ED) among BIPOC: expanding the skin tone trauma model to conceptualize a pathway

Despite extant research suggesting eating disorders (ED) prevalenceare prevalent across minoritized racial and ethnic groups (BIPOC, including Black, Indigenous, Asian, Latine, Multiracial/Multiethnic People of Color), racial disparities persist in diagnosis, referral and treatment, with BIPOC seeking and receiving ED treatment less than Whites (Marques et al., 2011;Sinha Song et al., 2026). Risk factors for ED among BIPOC may differ from White peers' (e.g., acculturative stress, Smart, 2011;Glenn, 2008;Hunter, 2007). Colonialism cemented the link between status and skin color through the institutionalization of classism and further anti-blackness, reinforcement through violence and deprivation, and an increasing mixing of people (e.g., India; Dixon Goodman et al., 2004) In working with families and communities, interventions should focus on reducing negative interpersonal outcomes (e.g., isolation, poor interpersonal relationships and distrust), provide education to decrease appearance-based comments and promote positive self-identity and pride in one's skin tone. Interventions addressing stigma and shame are also worth considering;, as these may be relevant to skin tone trauma and interpersonal outcomes, impact help-seeking for ED and be heightened among BIPOC, and especially BIPOC who are sexual minorities and/or men (Billman Miller et al., 2025). Group therapy work, community-based conversations that include generalist healthcare providers and community/spiritual leaders, who may be the first points of health contact, and advocacy work may be beneficial for creating safe spaces where colorism is intentionally named and mitigated.The proposed Colorism, Skin Tone Trauma, and ED model provides a culturally relevant framework for exploring how colorist incidents may influence ED and related body image issues faced by BIPOC via consideration of vulnerabilities, intersecting identities, emotion regulation and selfobjectification. Future research is needed to empirically test this proposed modelpathway, explore mechanisms and moderators, and interventions. Additionally, it may be beneficial to further study what factors underlie vulnerability to skin tone trauma and ED that may be meaningful targets for prevention. This model assumes similarities to pathways between interpersonal trauma and ED, yet this may in itself be a limiting representation of the depth of systemic trauma. Additional exploration between systemic traumas and ED are needed across research and clinical practice to truly address the experiences of the global majority.