Perspectives of Having Celiac Disease and Eating Disorders

The issue of eating disorders among individuals with celiac disease is a growing concern; yet, it receives little clinical research attention. The purpose of this project is to explore perspectives of individuals who have celiac disease and eating disorders. The research sought to learn more about the development of eating disorders and celiac disease for individuals, how individuals perceive the interaction between the two disorders, and what individuals think would be beneficial in treating these comorbid diseases? Using a qualitative design, nine individuals agreed to be interviewed about their experience of having celiac disease and an eating disorder. Data was analyzed using both inductive and deductive approaches which categories were first developed from the interview responses and linked to previous literature. The findings indicated that there is a significant interaction between celiac disease and eating disorders. The celiac disease often made it more “convenient” for participants to engage in their restrictive eating disorder symptoms. There is a continued need for ongoing research in this area of celiac disease and eating disorders.