Brenna Bray, Ph.D., draws on psychological and social factors to improve awareness and treatment in healthcare.  

Since 2021, Dr. Brenna Bray has led research examining the clinical, environmental, and bio-psycho-pathological factors contributing to binge-eating disorder (BED), with a focus on improving BED awareness, diagnosis, treatment, and lived experiences across a variety of healthcare settings. 

Bray is an associate professor in the Master of Science in Clinical Research program at NUNM and a faculty member at Helfgott Research Institute. She leads studies aiming to better understand BED pathology and the state of the art in research and clinical care. 

Through “A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Opinions”, an early study done in collaboration with Helfgott researchers, Bray continues to leverage responses from expert researchers, clinicians, policymakers, and administrators in the field.

‘Binge eating disorder’ was formally recognized in 2013 as an autonomous diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V), a guidebook for mental health professionals, and characterized by two-hour episodes of rapidly consuming objectively large amounts of food due to loss of control associated with distress, guilt, and shame that occur weekly for at least 3 months.⁽⁷⁾

Now the most common eating disorder globally, Bray says detection and care remain hampered by outdated stereotypes and misconceptions, with treatment success rates below 50 percent. Given its distinct pathology from anorexia and bulimia nervosa, BED also requires more tailored and effective treatment approaches.⁽⁷⁾

One Disorder, Multiple Factors

Bray’s research highlights the widespread impact of the disorder across populations, including BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities, where individuals not only face higher rates of risk and prevalence for BED but also disparities in access to resources and care. ^{(1-3, 5-6)}

Bray says these populations remain underrepresented in studies and are approximately 50 percent less likely to be screened, with studies demonstrating how factors like food insecurity, stigma, and adversity can amplify barriers to treatment. ^(1-3)

Additional research links food insecurity and early use of government assistance to an increased risk of developing the disorder. In a study on food pantry users, Bray observed that roughly half of the respondents met the diagnostic criteria for food restriction, often citing food insufficiency or the need to “stretch food to make it last”. ^(1-4) 

“There are a variety of factors like this that are not exclusive to BED but need to be accounted for when screening and treating folks with eating disorders and a variety of other health disparities.”  

In recent years, Bray founded NourishED Research Foundation, a nonprofit focused on improving recognition and care for eating disorders and other health disparities. As the foundation’s director, her mission is to employ a social justice approach to healthcare regarding BED.

By improving awareness, screening, and diagnosis of the disorder, as well as sharing trauma-informed resources like patient workbooks, accreditation programs for healthcare providers, and social media campaigns, she hopes to “change the environments these issues occur in.” 

One of her goals is to challenge outdated views of eating disorders—often represented by the “SWAG stereotype”, which ascribes eating disorders to “skinny, white, affluent girls” and misrepresents the majority of adults with BED. ^(1-3)

“The ‘SWAG’ demographic historically saturates treatment-seeking populations for eating disorders, and Western healthcare more broadly, but represents around five percent of adults with BED.” 

Challenges with Stigma and Bias

Bray also finds that stigma and biases around weight can also exist in healthcare, discouraging individuals from seeking support systems and further contributing to the lack of treatment access. 

She cites estimates that say 65 to 95 percent of BED cases go undetected, undiagnosed, and untreated, stressing the need for increased social awareness, improved treatment options, and provider education. ^{(1-5, 6)} 

Unfortunately, adversity and stigma are sometimes found within the healthcare system, Bray says, where BED may be confused with obesity or being overweight, and focusing on a person’s body weight in these cases can feel both intrusive and unhelpful for those living with this condition. ^(1-4)

“The importance of stigma cannot be understated—related to body weight, shape or size, having an eating disorder diagnosis, and having a mental health diagnosis,” Bray says. “The experiences of stigma are not just hard; they are often downright traumatic.” 

Across her past work and in her forthcoming publication, “Treatment Barriers in Binge Eating Disorder,” Bray said she aims to foster greater empathy and support—shifting the conversation around BED from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?”

“When we look at emerging research broadly,” Bray says, “accounting for the role of things like systemic discrimination and minority stress—which we know can impact the brain in ways very similar to trauma—the need for this shift becomes critical.” 

Her ultimate goal is to bridge gaps in research, education, and care, she says, and to ensure that resources and support for the disorder become more accessible, inclusive, and effective for everyone.  

Written by Ashley Villarreal, Marketing Content Specialist, with research support from Dr. Brenna Bray.

Editor’s Note: Sources include prior research conducted in collaboration with Helfgott Research Institute to explore binge-eating disorder (BED). 

Bray et al. (2022). Binge Eating Disorder Is a Social Justice Issue: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Opinions. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(10), 6243. (1) 

Bray et al. (2023). Clinical aspects of binge eating disorder: A cross-sectional mixed-methods study of binge eating disorder experts’ perspectives. Frontiers in psychiatry, 13, 1087165. (2) 

Bray et al. (2025). Treatment Access Barriers in Binge Eating Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Opinions. International journal of environmental research and public health [submitted]. (3) 

Bray et al. (2022). Mental health aspects of binge eating disorder: A cross-sectional mixed-methods study of binge eating disorder experts’ perspectives. Frontiers in psychiatry, 13, 953203. (4) 

Bray et al. (2024). Complementary and Integrative Health Use in Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: A Cross-Sectional Mixed-Methods Study of Binge Eating Disorder Experts’ Opinions. International journal of nursing and health care research, 7(5), 1549. (5) 

Bray, B., Rodríguez-Martín, B. C., Wiss, D. A., Bray, C. E., & Zwickey, H. (2021). Overeaters Anonymous: An Overlooked Intervention for Binge Eating Disorder. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(14), 7303. (6) 

American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2022). Binge-Eating Disorder (F50.81). In Section II: Diagnostic Criteria and Codes: Feeding and Eating Disorders. In Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition Text Revision (DSM-5-TR) (5-TR ed., pp. 393-396). American Psychiatric Association. (7)

Nicholson, A. A., Siegel, M., Wolf, J., Narikuzhy, S., Roth, S. L., Hatchard, T., Lanius, R. A., Schneider, M., Lloyd, C. S., McKinnon, M. C., Heber, A., Smith, P., & Lueger-Schuster, B. (2022). A systematic review of the neural correlates of sexual minority stress: towards an intersectional minority mosaic framework with implications for a future research agenda. European journal of psychotraumatology, 13(1), 2002572.  (8)

Parra, L. A., & Hastings, P. D. (2018). Integrating the Neurobiology of Minority Stress with an Intersectionality Framework for LGBTQ-Latinx Populations. New directions for child and adolescent development, 2018(161), 91–108. (9)