Autism, Eating, and Body Image

"They kept treating me for anorexia like it was about body image. It wasn't. It was about control and sensory issues." — Autistic adult in recovery

ARFID

Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder is common in autistic people:

• Sensory issues with texture, smell, appearance
• Fear of choking
• Not sensing hunger (see Interoception)

NOT about weight or body image—a legitimate eating disorder.

Anorexia and Autism

For autistic people, often driven by:

• Routine and rigidity around eating
• Control in an overwhelming world
• Sensory sensitivity limiting foods
• Using restriction to manage emotions

Body image may not be the driver.

Autistic Body Image

"My relationship with my body isn't about how it looks. It's about how it feels—the sensory experience of living in it every day." — Autistic adult

Autistic body image is often about sensation, not appearance. If you can't sense your body well, it may feel foreign. Many prioritize comfort over looking "right."

Contributing Factors

Sensory: Heightened reactions to food textures/smells.

Interoception: Difficulty sensing hunger or fullness.

Control: When life feels overwhelming, food becomes controllable.

Social: Bullying, rejection for being "different."

Treatment

Standard treatments often fail because they don't account for sensory issues or assume body image is the driver.

What works: Autism understanding, sensory accommodations, clear expectations.

The key is finding providers who understand the autism-eating disorder connection.