Eating Disorders
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, support is available. Please reach out to Beat (0808 801 0677) or text “BEAT” to 50808. If you are in crisis, contact 999 or go to A&E.
Understanding eating disorders
Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions where people struggle with food, eating, and body image in ways that significantly affect their health and wellbeing.
The main types include anorexia nervosa (severe restriction), bulimia nervosa (binge eating followed by purging), binge eating disorder (episodes of uncontrolled eating), and ARFID - Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder.
ARFID is a newer diagnosis (added to the DSM-5 in 2013) where people severely limit the foods they eat. This is not about body image - it is about sensory sensitivities, fear of choking, or lack of appetite. It is increasingly recognised in neurodivergent people.
Eating disorders are not simply about vanity or wanting to lose weight. They are complex conditions shaped by biology, psychology, trauma, and how the brain processes sensory information, emotions, and bodily signals.
The neurodiversity connection
Autism and eating disorders
Research suggests that around 23.3% of women with anorexia meet the threshold for an autism diagnosis.1
For autistic people, eating difficulties often stem from sensory sensitivities - strong tastes, textures, or smells can feel overwhelming. Some autistic people find comfort in eating the same foods repeatedly (rigid thinking patterns). Others struggle with interoception - difficulty noticing or understanding hunger and fullness cues.
Additionally, alexithymia (difficulty identifying emotions) can make it hard to recognise emotional distress before it becomes self-restrictive behaviour.
ADHD and eating disorders
People with ADHD are 3–6 times more likely to develop an eating disorder than non-ADHD peers.2
For people with ADHD, challenges include impulsive eating or restriction, difficulty remembering meals, using food to regulate dopamine, and emotional eating during overwhelm. The impulsivity that characterises ADHD can also fuel binge eating episodes.
ARFID and neurodiversity
Research shows that 16.27% of people with ARFID have autism, and 11.41% of autistic people have ARFID. Strikingly, up to 39% of children being treated for ARFID also have ADHD.
ARFID is profoundly shaped by sensory processing differences, anxiety, and reduced appetite signalling - all common in neurodivergence.
A meta-analysis found ADHD significantly increases eating disorder risk, with particular associations to binge eating and impulsive eating patterns. Early recognition of ADHD alongside eating difficulties improves outcomes.
Lived experience
“As a teenager struggling to eat, I was told I wasn’t skinny enough to have an eating disorder. Therapists and counsellors didn’t understand that it wasn’t about losing weight; I just couldn’t tolerate most food and I didn’t have the language to explain why. Finally learning about ARFID (called Selective Eating Disorder at the time) was such a relief; my limited diet wasn’t a personal failing. I could forgive myself for being a ‘fussy eater’ and advocate for myself to have access to foods that wouldn’t result in meltdowns. Now I try new foods on my own terms, only if I want to, have regular blood tests to make sure I’m nutritionally okay, and give myself grace to scale back to the safest of safe foods - plain pasta - when life gets a bit much.”
Why this matters
Eating disorders carry serious health risks. Anorexia has a mortality rate of 10–20% - the highest of any mental health disorder. Hospital admissions for eating disorders in the UK rose 90% between 2015 and 2020.43
During the COVID-19 pandemic, diagnoses among 13–16 year old girls increased by 42%.
Understanding the neurodiversity connection is not about blame. It is about recognition: standard eating disorder treatment often misses neurodivergent people’s needs because it does not address sensory sensitivities, rigid thinking patterns, or difficulty with interoception.
Getting support
Start with your GP
Your GP can: - Assess your physical and mental health - Refer you to specialist eating disorder services - Check nutritional and physical impacts - Consider neurodiversity screening if relevant
Specialist support
Adapted approaches matter. Look for services that understand neurodiversity and can offer: - Sensory-friendly assessment environments - Support for interoception work (learning to notice hunger and fullness) - Non-weight-focused approaches where appropriate - Treatment that addresses underlying sensory and processing differences
Local services: Find NHS and private eating disorder services in your area at neurobetter Services.
Charities and helplines
- Beat Eating Disorders: 0808 801 0677 or text “BEAT” to 50808. Free confidential support. (https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/)
- ARFID Awareness UK: Peer support and information specific to ARFID. (https://www.arfidawarenessuk.org/)
- Mind: General mental health support and resources. (https://www.mind.org.uk/)
neurobetter support
- Our Ask a Counsellor service lets you put private questions to registered counsellors
- Our Online Community connects you with other neurodivergent people for peer support
- Use our Local Services directory to find eating disorder specialists and mental health providers near you
Recovery is possible. Many people with eating disorders - including neurodivergent people - find lasting support when treatment acknowledges sensory needs, body awareness challenges, and neurodivergent traits. You are not alone.
If you are in immediate crisis, contact 999 or go to your nearest A&E. You can also call 111 for urgent mental health support, or reach out to the Samaritans (116 123) to talk things through. Visit Get Help Now for all crisis support options.
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Westwood, H., Mandy, W. & Tchanturia, K. (2017). Clinical evaluation of autistic symptoms in women with anorexia nervosa. Molecular Autism, 8, 12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13229-017-0128-x ↩
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Nazar, B.P., Bernardes, C., Peachey, G. et al. (2016). The risk of eating disorders comorbid with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 49(12), 1045-1057. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22643 ↩
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Beat. (2024). Statistics for journalists. https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/get-information-and-support/about-eating-disorders/how-many-people-have-an-eating-disorder/statistics-for-journalists/ ↩
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NHS Digital. (2023). Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2023. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2023-wave-4-follow-up ↩
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