Maslow’s Hierarchy of Unmet Needs: Eating Disorder Edition
If you’re familiar with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, you’ve probably seen this image before:
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a psychological framework that outlines five levels of human needs, beginning with the most basic—physiological and safety needs—and moving up to emotional and psychological needs like belonging, self-esteem, and self-actualization.
Eating disorders strike at the foundation of this hierarchy, disrupting both physiological and safety needs. When these foundational needs go unmet, it becomes nearly impossible to fully access the higher levels of emotional and psychological well-being.
How Eating Disorders Undermine Basic Needs
Physiological needs include food, water, rest, and health—all of which can be compromised by disordered eating. Eating disorders distort our relationship with food, and in some cases, even water intake is affected (either through overhydration or dehydration). Many individuals with eating disorders also experience sleep disruption—either due to compulsive behaviors like over-exercising or intrusive thoughts about food and body image that make it difficult to rest.
Safety needs are also jeopardized. In her book Anti-Diet, Christy Harrison describes this disruption powerfully:
“Feeling connected to and at peace with [our bodies] is crucial to feeling safe in the world. By making us feel self-conscious and not good enough in our bodies, diet culture disconnects us from them—and thereby makes us question our very identities, our basic worthiness as human beings. By keeping us from feeling at home in our bodies, it keeps us from feeling at home in the world at large.” (p. 168)
When we don’t feel safe or connected in our own bodies, the world feels unsafe too.
The Ripple Effect on Higher-Level Needs
Once physiological and safety needs are compromised, the rest of Maslow’s pyramid becomes harder to access. Relationships may suffer. A sense of belonging can erode. Self-esteem plummets, and self-actualization—the pursuit of purpose and personal growth—feels out of reach.
If you’ve ever struggled with an eating disorder or disordered eating, this probably rings true. You may have felt isolated, unsure of your identity, or disconnected from your goals and values. Controlling food or exercise may have once seemed like a path to confidence or control—but Maslow’s framework suggests the opposite: those behaviors are often moving you further away from the very things you crave.
Reclaiming Your Foundation for Healing
Understanding eating disorders through the lens of Maslow’s hierarchy can be an empowering shift. It reframes recovery not just as “eating more” or “thinking differently,” but as a process of restoring your most essential needs—reclaiming nourishment, rest, safety, and peace in your own body.
From that restored foundation, deeper healing can happen. Connection, confidence, and purpose don’t feel so far away.
To learn more about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, you can explore this resource from Simply Psychology.
We’re Here to Help You Rebuild From the Ground Up
At Empowering You, we specialize in helping clients rebuild their relationship with food, body, and self. Our therapists understand the emotional and psychological toll of eating disorders—and we’re here to support you in getting your foundational needs met again.
If you’re ready to start reconnecting with your body and reclaiming your life, reach out today. Healing starts with meeting your needs—and you don’t have to do it alone.
