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In a study of 35,404 adults in England and Northern Ireland — all of them with an eating disorder diagnosis recorded by their GP — 26,822 had no record of a referral to specialist services. Three in four. Not undiagnosed. Diagnosed, coded, and then nothing. A fair question at this point is who made those diagnoses. The data comes from GP records, and the diagnoses are the ones GPs themselves recorded. The study’s senior author, Professor Ulrike Schmidt, notes that the referra

What your patient came in for wasn’t the eating disorder A patient comes to you with reflux that won’t settle. Another with low mood and poor sleep. A third because her periods have become irregular. A fourth is a competitive athlete with a BMI of 30, and nothing about him suggests restriction. None of them came to talk about food. One of them might be there for exactly that reason. They are already in the room A study followed 99 young people who were newly diagnosed with an

This time of year can feel like a lot. Everything comes at once — the end of summer, the darker evenings, the pace of life ratcheting up — and our kids are heading back to school and college. For most parents this is a time of relief as much as pressure. The welcome return to routine, not having to entertain everyone all day — though the return of all the sports and activities brings its own pressure! And for those of us supporting a loved one's recovery from an eating disord

One of the most important shifts in how we understand neurodivergence is a shift in language. ADHD is not a brain that does not work. It is a brain that works differently — with different thresholds for stimulation, different patterns of attention and motivation, and a different way of experiencing the world. When it comes to food, those differences matter enormously. (New to this? Start with our plain-language introduction: What Is Neurodivergence — And What Does It Have to

There are moments in eating disorder recovery that feel inexplicable. A day that seemed to be going well, and then, out of nowhere, everything falls apart. A refusal that looks like defiance but feels like something deeper. A shutdown that no amount of gentle encouragement can reach. If your loved one is autistic, those moments may have less to do with the eating disorder than with how their nervous system experiences the world. (New to this? Start with our plain-language int

You have sat across from professionals — therapists, dietitians, treatment teams — and tried to explain that something else is going on. That your loved one has always experienced the world a little differently. That the eating disorder feels like part of a bigger picture you cannot quite name yet. And you have been told, more than once: "Let's just focus on the eating disorder for now." If that is your experience, you are not imagining it. And you are not alone. Two complex

You may have heard the word neurodiversity more and more in recent years. But what does it actually mean — and why does it matter when we talk about our relationship with food? Neurodiversity is the idea that neurological differences between people are a natural part of human variation, not deficits to be corrected. It describes differences in how the brain works. Neurodivergence is a term used to describe individuals whose cognitive functioning diverges from what is typicall

When someone is living with ARFID, families often carry a quiet, constant worry underneath everything else: are they getting what they need? It’s one of the most common questions we hear — and it’s exactly the kind of worry a good dietitian can help carry. But the word “dietitian” can sound clinical, even a little intimidating — as though it means strict plans and foods you have to eat. When it comes to ARFID, the reality is gentler, and more collaborative, than that. This is

When we hear "body image," most of us picture how someone feels about the way they look. But for many people and often for neurodivergent people especially the harder part isn't how the body looks. It's how it feels to live inside it. This is a gentler, less-talked-about side of body image: not the reflection in the mirror, but the relationship with the body itself. And it's a relationship that, for many, deserves a lot more compassion than it usually gets. (New to ARFID and

If someone you love has ARFID (Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder), you are not a bystander to it — you're one of the most important people in their world. Walking alongside them with patience and understanding may be the most powerful support there is. This is a gentle guide to doing that, and to looking after yourself while you do. If ARFID is new to you, it's an eating disorder that makes eating genuinely hard — not about weight, body image or willpower, but about h

ARFID and neurodivergence often go hand in hand. For many autistic and ADHD people, eating is shaped by how the brain experiences the world — the senses can be felt far more intensely, and the body's internal signals can be quieter or harder to read. That's a big part of why food difficulties and neurodivergence so often appear together. And understanding that connection is the key to support that actually helps. If you're new to ARFID itself, it stands for Avoidant/Restricti

ARFID — Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder — is an eating disorder in which a person finds it genuinely hard to eat enough food, or a wide enough range of foods, to be fully nourished. Unlike some other eating disorders, ARFID isn't driven by concerns about weight or body shape. It's about the experience of eating itself. The name is fairly new, but the experience isn't. For a long time, many people lived this without a word for it. Having a name matters , it's often t

Recognising the early signs of eating disorders in children can feel overwhelming for any parent. In a world where societal pressures and unrealistic body ideals can feel greater than ever, it’s natural to be unsure of what to look out for. Many eating disorder behaviours — such as excessive exercise or restrictive eating — hide in plain sight, and are often even praised. This guide is here to help. Below, we explain the early warning signs of an eating disorder in children a

When a loved one is affected by an eating disorder, attention naturally turns to them, their treatment, their meals, their recovery. But there is another person in the picture who is carrying an enormous, often invisible, weight: the carer. Parents, partners, siblings, and friends pour themselves into supporting someone they love, frequently with no roadmap and very little support of their own. This post is about why that matters. Because caring for someone through an eating

Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions that affect people of every gender, age, background, and body shape. They are not lifestyle choices, and they are not caused by families. Yet for one group in particular — neurodivergent people — eating disorders are too often missed, misunderstood, or treated in ways that don't fit how their minds work. At CEDAR, we believe care should meet people where they are. That starts with understanding how neurodivergence and eati

Supported Families is now CEDAR — Community of Eating Disorders Awareness and Recovery. Read the story behind our new name, who we are, and what comes next for individuals, families, and professionals seeking eating disorder support in Ireland.

by Deirdre Reddan Being a parent or caregiver to a loved one with an eating disorder is incredibly challenging. There are many difficult feelings to navigate – terror, anxiety, fear, frustration, and sometimes even anger. One of the hardest tasks is helping your loved one eat. Something that you may have done naturally for years, and that once felt easy and joyful, can suddenly feel overwhelming, stressful, and anxiety-provoking. Mealtimes, once a normal part of family life,

by Deirdre Reddan I well remember the fear and trepidation I felt when my daughter came home from inpatient treatment for an eating disorder. How would I manage mealtimes? Was I strong enough to support her recovery? Did I have the skills to help someone with an eating disorder at home? I had read many books about eating disorders and recovery, but I still wondered whether I would truly be able to support my daughter through this journey. Then I had the opportunity to learn t