Emily Simpson Shares How Son’s Eating Disorder Affected Her Other Kids

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Emily Simpson is putting family first.

After disclosing that their 10-year-old son named Luke had been diagnosed with a rare eating disorder called Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), the star of The Real Housewives of Orange County explained how this health struggle impacted her, her husband Shane Simpson, and their other two children: 12-year-old daughter Annabelle and Luke’s twin brother Keller.

During the challenging phase we found ourselves in, I admit I may not have spent as much quality time with Keller and Annabelle as we ideally should have. In an interview with TopMob News, I explained, “Annabelle, being a strong and self-assured young woman, appeared to be handling the situation quite capably. However, afterward, she approached me and expressed her feelings of neglect during that specific period.

In their home, it became a priority for some time to find therapists and dietitians knowledgeable about Luke’s food-related concerns and provide him with the necessary assistance, which was undertaken by the 49-year-old individual.

Emily explained, “Shane and I found ourselves deeply involved with raising Luke, and it was quite a challenge for us both.

Regarding Keller’s response to his twin’s health problems, Emily mused, “I believe he found Luke’s outbursts and behaviors challenging. In the end, I had to arrange therapy for both of them because neither seemed to fully grasp what Luke was going through. I hadn’t realized how deeply affecting Luke’s struggles would be on the other children, but it indeed was.

Emily mentioned that Luke primarily sticks to a limited range of three to four food items, but this knowledge empowers them to provide more effective assistance in addressing his eating disorder.

Emily shared with TopMob that Luke has significantly improved since the filming of season 19. She explained that during that time, Luke was under a lot of stress, and on top of that, he wasn’t attending school, which added to his stress as well.

Prior to comprehending his condition and the processes happening in his brain, I used to get irritated when he refused to eat different types of food. However, I made many errors in my approach. Now, we are aware that he has specific safe foods which we always keep at home. We don’t criticize him for eating these familiar foods, and occasionally try to introduce new ones to him.

Emily advises parents who suspect their child might have an eating disorder like Luke’s: “If something appears unusual or gives you a sense of unease, consult a reliable therapist and confide in them. There is a vast amount of information available today on this topic. Mothers instinctively know best. If your intuition tells you there’s a problem, then it’s likely that you are right.

Follow along as Emily’s emotional odyssey unfolds each Thursday night at 9 p.m., only on Bravo, during airings of “The Real Housewives of Orange County.” Until then, delve deeper into the latest season by continuing to read more here.

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2025-07-20 18:17