TUESDAY, April 4, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Young women with celiac disease may face a heightened risk of being diagnosed with anorexia, a new study suggests.

The Swedish researchers found the increased risk for these women was present both before and after their celiac diagnosis. Celiac disease is a digestive disorder where a person cannot tolerate gluten, a component of wheat, barley and rye.

The reasons for the link are not completely clear and the study, published online April 3 in the journal Pediatrics, did not prove that celiac disease causes anorexia. However, some U.S. doctors said they weren't surprised by the findings.

"I think a lot of us are aware there is a possibility of [celiac] patients developing an eating disorder," said Dr. Hilary Jericho, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Chicago's School of Medicine. Jericho specializes in treating celiac disease.

She explained that because the disease requires careful attention to diet, some patients may end up taking those eating restrictions "too far."

For example, Jericho said, they might fear their symptoms will come roaring back if they eat the wrong food, and become overly rigid about their diet.

"It does happen," agreed Dr. Neville Golden, chief of adolescent medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. "That's true not only with celiac disease, but with other diseases that require dietary restrictions, like type 1 diabetes."

Golden, who wrote an editorial published with the study, pointed to another likely explanation for the findings: Some women with celiac may initially be misdiagnosed with anorexia.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, and people with celiac disease must follow a gluten-free diet, to prevent the immune system from attacking the small intestine.

While celiac is far different from an eating disorder, it has certain symptoms in common with anorexia. Both can cause weight loss, fatigue, abdominal bloating and -- in children -- poor growth and delayed puberty.

"Diagnosing anorexia is not always easy," Golden said.

That's why the diagnosis should involve not only a mental health professional, he said, but also a pediatrician or other doctor who can help rule out physical health conditions.