Disordered eating in young people with coeliac disease

Managing coeliac disease requires lifelong dietary restriction, but when does necessary vigilance around gluten become something more concerning? For children and young people in particular, navigating food safety, gastrointestinal symptoms, social eating and changes in weight or growth can create a complex relationship with food. 

This session explores the intersection between coeliac disease, disordered eating and eating disorders, with a particular focus on the challenges faced by dietitians and nutrition professionals. We will examine the emerging evidence around eating-disorder risk in coeliac disease, including ARFID, weight- and shape-driven restriction, and gluten-related hypervigilance, while recognising the limitations of the current evidence base. 

The session will explore why the same restrictive behaviour can have very different meanings. Attendees will leave with practical questions and red flags to help distinguish proportionate gluten-free dietary management from restriction that may require further assessment and multidisciplinary support. 

Join Rosie to: 

• Understand the emerging evidence around disordered eating, ARFID and eating disorders in young people with coeliac disease. 

• Recognise when necessary gluten-free vigilance may be becoming rigid, distressing or extending beyond what is medically required. 

• Apply a practical approach to exploring why a young person is restricting, identifying red flags and knowing when further assessment or referral may be needed.