Anorexia in adolescence may weaken labor market position in adulthood – special attention needed for young men
Anorexia is a serious mental health disorder that typically begins during adolescence. A study, conducted by the Research Unit of Population Health and Oulu Business School at the University of Oulu, examined how anorexia in adolescence affects labour market position in adulthood compared with peers.
Many mental health disorders have previously been linked to a weaker position in the labour market, but research evidence relating to anorexia has been very limited and, in many respects, inadequate. The most recent studies on the subject date back decades, were based solely on survey data and focused only on women. Generalising these findings to the present day is difficult, as in recent decades there have been major changes in working life, the availability of psychiatric services, and the recognition of young people with anorexia within the service system.
The results of the newly published study showed that both men and women with anorexia had lower income levels and more days of unemployment in adulthood compared with their peers. The effects on labour market position were particularly pronounced in men.
“Although anorexia often has a favourable long-term prognosis in terms of general health, its impact on working life can be significant,” says the lead author of the research article, Postdoctoral Researcher Tuomas Majuri.
The study utilised data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 and national registry data on income, unemployment days and sickness absence days at ages 25–33. Labour market position was examined using these registry data, and analyses were conducted separately for men and women.
“Men who suffered from anorexia in adolescence are particularly poorly recognised in our current service system, which weakens their labour market position later in life. The Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia has recently invested in the treatment of eating disorder patients, for example by opening a new eating disorder unit. More initiatives of this kind, along with closer cooperation between healthcare, employment services and employers, are needed to improve the labour market position of young people affected by anorexia,” Majuri explains.
The study was funded by the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, the Wage Earners’ Foundation, the OP Research Foundation, the Tauno Tönning Foundation and the North Ostrobothnia Regional Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
Research publication: Majuri T, Wilén E, Huikari S, Korhonen M (2025) Long-term labour market outcomes of anorexia nervosa – the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2025.
Anorexia is a serious mental health disorder that typically begins during adolescence. A study, conducted by the Research Unit of Population Health and Oulu Business School at the University of Oulu, examined how anorexia in adolescence affects labour market position in adulthood compared with peers.
Many mental health disorders have previously been linked to a weaker position in the labour market, but research evidence relating to anorexia has been very limited and, in many respects, inadequate. The most recent studies on the subject date back decades, were based solely on survey data and focused only on women. Generalising these findings to the present day is difficult, as in recent decades there have been major changes in working life, the availability of psychiatric services, and the recognition of young people with anorexia within the service system.
The results of the newly published study showed that both men and women with anorexia had lower income levels and more days of unemployment in adulthood compared with their peers. The effects on labour market position were particularly pronounced in men.
“Although anorexia often has a favourable long-term prognosis in terms of general health, its impact on working life can be significant,” says the lead author of the research article, Postdoctoral Researcher Tuomas Majuri.
The study utilised data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 and national registry data on income, unemployment days and sickness absence days at ages 25–33. Labour market position was examined using these registry data, and analyses were conducted separately for men and women.
“Men who suffered from anorexia in adolescence are particularly poorly recognised in our current service system, which weakens their labour market position later in life. The Wellbeing Services County of North Ostrobothnia has recently invested in the treatment of eating disorder patients, for example by opening a new eating disorder unit. More initiatives of this kind, along with closer cooperation between healthcare, employment services and employers, are needed to improve the labour market position of young people affected by anorexia,” Majuri explains.
The study was funded by the Yrjö Jahnsson Foundation, the Wage Earners’ Foundation, the OP Research Foundation, the Tauno Tönning Foundation and the North Ostrobothnia Regional Fund of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
Research publication: Majuri T, Wilén E, Huikari S, Korhonen M (2025) Long-term labour market outcomes of anorexia nervosa – the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2025.
Journal
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
DOI
Article Title
Long-term labour market outcomes of anorexia nervosa – the Northern Finland birth cohort 1986
Long-term labour market outcomes of anorexia nervosa – the Northern Finland birth cohort 1986
Article Publication Date
26-Aug-2025
26-Aug-2025
Not all calories are equal: Ultra-processed foods harm men’s health
A groundbreaking human study has found that ultra-processed foods lead to increased weight, disrupt hormones and introduce harmful substances linked to declining sperm quality
University of Copenhagen
Over the past 50 years, rates of obesity and type-2 diabetes have soared, while sperm quality has plummeted. Driving these changes could be the increasing popularity of ultra-processed foods, which have been linked to a range of poor health outcomes. However, scientists still aren’t sure whether it’s the industrial nature of the ingredients themselves, the processing of the foods, or whether it’s because they lead people to eat more than they should.
An international team of scientists has now discovered that people gain more weight on an ultra-processed diet compared to a minimally processed diet, even when they eat the same number of calories. The study in humans also revealed a diet high in ultra-processed foods introduces higher levels of pollutants that are known to affect sperm quality. The findings were published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
“Our results prove that ultra-processed foods harm our reproductive and metabolic health, even if they’re not eaten in excess. This indicates that it is the processed nature of these foods that makes them harmful,” says Jessica Preston, lead author of the study, who carried out the research during her PhD at the University of Copenhagen's NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR).
A groundbreaking human study has found that ultra-processed foods lead to increased weight, disrupt hormones and introduce harmful substances linked to declining sperm quality
University of Copenhagen
Over the past 50 years, rates of obesity and type-2 diabetes have soared, while sperm quality has plummeted. Driving these changes could be the increasing popularity of ultra-processed foods, which have been linked to a range of poor health outcomes. However, scientists still aren’t sure whether it’s the industrial nature of the ingredients themselves, the processing of the foods, or whether it’s because they lead people to eat more than they should.
An international team of scientists has now discovered that people gain more weight on an ultra-processed diet compared to a minimally processed diet, even when they eat the same number of calories. The study in humans also revealed a diet high in ultra-processed foods introduces higher levels of pollutants that are known to affect sperm quality. The findings were published in the journal Cell Metabolism.
“Our results prove that ultra-processed foods harm our reproductive and metabolic health, even if they’re not eaten in excess. This indicates that it is the processed nature of these foods that makes them harmful,” says Jessica Preston, lead author of the study, who carried out the research during her PhD at the University of Copenhagen's NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research (CBMR).
Same calories, different outcomes
To get the best possible data, the scientists compared the health impact of unprocessed and ultra-processed diets on the same person. They recruited 43 men aged 20 to 35, who spent three weeks on each of the two diets, with three months ‘washout’ in between. Half started on the ultra-processed and half started on the unprocessed diet. Half of the men also received a high-calorie diet with an extra 500 daily calories, while half received the normal amount of calories for their size, age and physical activity levels. They were not told which diet they were on. Both the unprocessed and ultra-processed diets had the same amount of calories, protein, carbs and fats.
Men gained around 1 kg more of fat mass while on the ultra-processed diet compared to the unprocessed diet, regardless of whether they were on the normal or excess calorie diet. Several other markers of cardiovascular health were also affected.
To get the best possible data, the scientists compared the health impact of unprocessed and ultra-processed diets on the same person. They recruited 43 men aged 20 to 35, who spent three weeks on each of the two diets, with three months ‘washout’ in between. Half started on the ultra-processed and half started on the unprocessed diet. Half of the men also received a high-calorie diet with an extra 500 daily calories, while half received the normal amount of calories for their size, age and physical activity levels. They were not told which diet they were on. Both the unprocessed and ultra-processed diets had the same amount of calories, protein, carbs and fats.
Men gained around 1 kg more of fat mass while on the ultra-processed diet compared to the unprocessed diet, regardless of whether they were on the normal or excess calorie diet. Several other markers of cardiovascular health were also affected.
Ultra-processed foods polluted with endocrine disruptors
The scientists also discovered a worrying increase in the level of the hormone-disrupting phthalate cxMINP, a substance used in plastics, in men on the ultra-processed diet. Men on this diet also saw decreases in their levels of testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which are crucial for sperm production.
“We were shocked by how many body functions were disrupted by ultra-processed foods, even in healthy young men. The long-term implications are alarming and highlight the need to revise nutritional guidelines to better protect against chronic disease.” says the study’s senior author Professor Romain Barrès from the University of Copenhagen’s NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research, and the Université Côte d’Azur.
Read the paper in Cell Metabolism: Effect of ultra-processed food consumption on male reproductive and metabolic health
The scientists also discovered a worrying increase in the level of the hormone-disrupting phthalate cxMINP, a substance used in plastics, in men on the ultra-processed diet. Men on this diet also saw decreases in their levels of testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone, which are crucial for sperm production.
“We were shocked by how many body functions were disrupted by ultra-processed foods, even in healthy young men. The long-term implications are alarming and highlight the need to revise nutritional guidelines to better protect against chronic disease.” says the study’s senior author Professor Romain Barrès from the University of Copenhagen’s NNF Center for Basic Metabolic Research, and the Université Côte d’Azur.
Read the paper in Cell Metabolism: Effect of ultra-processed food consumption on male reproductive and metabolic health
Journal
Cell Metabolism
Cell Metabolism
DOI
Article Publication Date
28-Aug-2025
28-Aug-2025
COI Statement
SS Torekov declares receiving honoraria from Merck, Ferring and Novo Nordisk, being part of the consulting board for Novo Nordisk, and recipient of research funding from Novo Nordisk. All other co-authors declare no conflicts of interest.
SS Torekov declares receiving honoraria from Merck, Ferring and Novo Nordisk, being part of the consulting board for Novo Nordisk, and recipient of research funding from Novo Nordisk. All other co-authors declare no conflicts of interest.
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