The Overlap No One Explains Between ADHD, Eating Disorders, and Hypermobility with Dr Jessica Eccles

The Overlap No One Explains Between ADHD, Eating Disorders, and Hypermobility with Dr Jessica Eccles

From The Full of Beans Podcast by Hannah Hickinbotham

May 4, 2026 · 48 min · Season 1 · Episode 268

About this episode

This episode features Dr Jessica Eccles discussing the connections between ADHD, eating disorders, and hypermobility.

In this week’s episode of Full of Beans , I’m joined by Dr Jessica Eccles, an award-winning researcher and neurodevelopmental psychiatrist specialising in the links between brain and body, particularly as they relate to hypermobility. Jessica is an Associate Professor in Brain-Body Medicine at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Also, she works in the Sussex NHS Neurodevelopmental Service, where she and colleagues have set up the world’s first Neurodivergent Brain Body Clinic. She has been exploring the intersection between hypermobility, neurodivergence, and mental health since 2009, and is passionate about challenging stereotypes and encouraging curiosity. In this episode, we discuss: What hypermobility actually is, and why it is about more than being “bendy” The links between ADHD, autism, hypermobility, anxiety, and eating disorders How gut issues, autonomic dysfunction, and interoception may play a role Why body sensations can sometimes be misread as anxiety The connection between proprioception, body awareness, and emotion regulation Why neurodivergent people may be more vulnerable to restrictive eating patterns The importance of looking at the full picture, rather than…

People in this episode

Host: Hannah Hickinbotham

Guest: Dr Jessica Eccles

Topics covered

  • ADHD
  • eating disorders
  • hypermobility
  • mental health
  • neurodivergence
  • body awareness

Keywords

  • ADHD
  • eating disorders
  • hypermobility
  • anxiety
  • neurodivergence
  • mental health
  • body awareness
  • proprioception

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Sussex NHS Neurodevelopmental Service, Neurodivergent Brain Body Clinic

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