How Food Allergies Can Impact Our Relationship with Food

Ilana Dubrovsky
Sep 30
3 min read

Living with food allergies comes with a slew of added stressors. These can include increased anxiety, the need for restrictive diets, and constant vigilance of nearly every food you eat, to name a few. This can cause negative feelings associated with food, especially among someone's allergens. Unfortunately, for many people, these stressors go so far as to affect their entire relationship with food, leading to disordered eating behaviors and sometimes developing into eating disorders.

Disordered Eating and Eating Disorders: Knowing the Difference

Most people have heard of well-established eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or binge eating disorder. However, there is another term that has been used in recent years that describes eating behaviors that are eating disorder-like, but do not meet all the criteria for a "clinical" eating disorder: disordered eating.

Eating disorders are diagnosable conditions that require specific criteria to be met, as defined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). However, a person exhibiting disordered eating patterns may behave similarly to those with an eating disorder, but their behaviors may be less frequent or less severe. It is important to be able to recognize these behaviors and seek help to help yourself, or others, from developing an eating disorder. Here are some patterns to look for:

Restrictive eating beyond foods that the individual is allergic to
Skipping meals
Exercising more than usual
Starting weight loss medications without alerting anyone
Regular use of laxatives

The Link Between Food Allergies and Eating Disorders

Research suggests a correlation between food allergies and poor body image, disordered eating, and eating disorders. Let’s break some of this research down:

Several studies have found that children and adolescents with food allergies struggle with the embarrassment that can come with having allergies, like feeling different from their peers and believing their bodies are "broken" in some way [1,2,3].
A study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice focusing on children with food allergies found that more than half of them may also meet criteria for avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). This is a relatively new type of eating disorder in which affected individuals severely limit their food variety due to factors such as sensory sensitivity or fear of an adverse reaction [4].
Another study published in Pediatric Allergy and Immunology found that people who experience food-induced anaphylaxis as an infant were later at an increased risk of developing an eating disorder [5].

What Can Be Done to Reduce the Risk of Eating Disorder Development?

Food allergies are hard enough to manage on their own, and it can be difficult to watch someone close to you live their life in constant fear to the point where it negatively affects their eating habits, and their lives overall. It is also a challenge for the affected individual, especially if they have experienced an adverse reaction to a food before. It can absolutely be traumatizing for anyone involved. Luckily, there are many ways to help cope with stress and stay safe, and resources for both food allergies and eating disorders are more abundant and accessible than ever.

Seek professional help - and seek it EARLY! Work closely with your allergist to develop an individualized care plan and ask them questions. If you feel that you or someone you know is beginning to develop disordered eating patterns, identify and recognize the patterns and seek help from a licensed mental health professional. There are also food allergy dietitians that can help with meal planning, finding ingredient substitutes, reading labels, and other things to make eating with food allergies that much easier.
Have a plan for emergencies - This can help greatly in reducing stress and fear associated with food allergies and overall eating. Always carry epinephrine. Let people know where to find your epinephrine. Let your food preparers know about your allergies.
Know that you are not alone - Whether you or someone you know is affected by food allergies, disordered eating, or both, the need for a sense of community cannot be overstated. There are many support groups out there, both virtual and in person, to help you find people to relate to and ask questions amongst each other.

The link between food allergies and eating disorders does need additional research, but a correlation has certainly been established. Recognizing the patterns and seeking the appropriate help early can lower the risk of eating disorder development and help people maintain a healthy relationship with food.

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