Posts Tagged “Eating Disorders”

Many people with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) notice that their eating habits don’t follow a predictable rhythm.

Maybe you lose track of time and forget to eat until hunger becomes unbearable. Or you snack impulsively—not out of hunger, but because it feels like the only way to calm down when your brain is buzzing and overstimulated. Or perhaps you’ve found yourself stuck staring at the contents of your fridge, so paralyzed by all of the steps involved in preparing a meal that you end up skipping eating entirely.

Academic excellence can vanish almost overnight when eating disorders take hold. High-achieving students find themselves unable to concentrate, missing classes, and watching their GPAs plummet. The academic consequences extend far beyond temporary setbacks—they can derail entire educational trajectories.

Learn more about eating disorder treatment and school support for teens and families

Episode description:

In this episode of Peace Meal, we hear from Jami Schadler, a mom of four and passionate eating disorder advocate from Dyersville, Iowa. Jami opens up about her 25-year struggle with an eating disorder, how unresolved childhood trauma played a role, and the turning point that sparked her recovery.

Now in recovery, Jami is dedicated to helping others find hope and healing. She shares how her advocacy began with a single social media post and grew into something much larger: facilitating a support group with NAMI Dubuque, working as an Ambassador with the Eating Disorders Coalition, and even spearheading a proclamation to recognize National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in her community.

Throughout the conversation, Jami emphasizes the importance of education, connection, and advocacy in breaking down stigma. She offers heartfelt advice to families, encouragement for those who feel isolated, and reflections on what recovery has brought to her life and her children’s lives.

When a straight-A student suddenly struggles with basic math problems, or a creative writer can’t finish a simple paragraph, the culprit might not be lack of effort. For students with eating disorders, the brain-school connection becomes disrupted in ways that many families don’t expect.

The impact goes far beyond missed meals affecting energy levels. Eating disorders fundamentally alter how the brain processes, stores, and retrieves information—the very functions students need to succeed academically.

Remember: A semester of modified academics is far better than years of struggling through school with an untreated eating disorder.

Learn more about eating disorder treatment and school support for teens and families

We all live in diet culture, a society obsessed with thinness and dieting. Weight and food biases permeate the air we breathe, tingeing our thoughts and actions in ways sometimes hard to notice. Providers, patients—none of us—are immune to these biases. They’re often subtle and deeply embedded, and left unexamined and unchecked, they can manifest in interactions between patients and even the most capable, well-intentioned providers.

In this article, we define and discuss weight and food bias, including its perpetuating factors and health consequences. Learn the impact of weight stigma and how to recognize and counter implicit and explicit bias in yourself, your practice, and in our larger society.

What are weight bias and stigma?

Weight bias refers to negative attitudes, beliefs, or assumptions about others based on body weight or size. Internalized weight bias occurs when these negative weight-related beliefs are absorbed and held about oneself.

Weight bias can lead to weight stigma, or the disapproval of someone based on their weight. Stigma is seeing someone negatively because of their weight, which can in turn lead to treating someone negatively because of it. Stigma manifests in stereotyping, bullying, and discrimination on the basis of weight, as well as exclusion and marginalization in media, professional, health care, and other settings. While weight bias harms people of all sizes, those who live in bodies that do not conform to “normal” body size expectations experience the greatest weight stigmatization.

The connection between alcohol use and eating disorders is more common—and more complex—than many people realize.

Research shows that up to half of those with an eating disorder have also struggled with substance use. And for people with a history of substance use challenges, the likelihood of also experiencing an eating disorder is approximately 11 times higher than in the general population.

While every story is different, eating disorders and substance use disorders can share common threads, such as emotional pain, histories of trauma, or traits like impulsivity and perfectionism. Disordered eating and substance use behaviors may look different on the outside, but both can serve as ways to cope with overwhelming thoughts or feelings.

Eating disorders don’t have a single cause. They develop from a mix of biological, psychological, and social factors. One important factor that often gets overlooked is food insecurity—the lack of reliable access to enough safe, nutritious food.

When food is unpredictable, eating patterns shift. People may skip meals, eat past fullness when food becomes available, or fall into long-term cycles of restriction and bingeing. These patterns can disrupt hunger and fullness cues, fuel emotional distress, and increase the risk of an eating disorder or make recovery more challenging.

Yet outdated stereotypes about who struggles with eating disorders often prevent those facing food insecurity from getting help. Eating disorders affect people of all sizes, backgrounds, and incomes. If providers don’t recognize the role of food insecurity, they may miss a critical piece of the puzzle.

Below, we’ll explore how food insecurity and eating disorders overlap, how to screen for food insecurity, and how to integrate food access support into treatment. Addressing both together can help people heal their relationship with food and find lasting recovery.

If you or someone you love is struggling with an eating disorder, you may be wondering where to turn for help. Many people start with a therapist, dietitian, or primary care doctor—but is that enough?

Eating disorders affect the body, brain, and emotions in deeply connected ways. Because of this, recovery isn’t something one provider can tackle alone. Without a coordinated team, critical aspects of treatment can be overlooked—making healing harder and increasing the risk of relapse.

A meal plan alone won’t heal the psychological roots of an eating disorder. Therapy without nutritional support may not help the body recover. And medical check-ins without mental health care can leave emotional struggles unaddressed. To fully heal, all of these elements must be treated together.

That’s where The Emily Program comes in. Unlike general mental health providers, we offer specialized, team-based care designed specifically for eating disorder recovery. Our coordinated approach ensures that every part of your healing journey receives the expert attention it deserves.