Eating disorders and ADHD

Eating disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

ADHD is a developmental impairment of the brain’s executive functions. People with ADHD have trouble with impulse-control, focusing, emotional regulation and organisation and therefore daily tasks of living such as healthy, sensible, regulated eating can be a struggle.  Individuals with ADHD have a higher risk of disordered eating than those without the condition.

Regulating food intake requires the planning, organisation, and time management skills lacking in those with ADHD due to their poor executive function. Deciding what to cook and making sure they have the ingredients to cook it requires forward planning.  If a person doesn’t get around to stocking their pantry and fridge with healthy foods, they might just wake up late in the morning or come home after work and reach for foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates, which the ADHD brain craves.

The impulsivity seen with ADHD can impair a person’s ability to stop and think about the consequences before acting. Obviously, this can interfere with people being able to resist foods and temptations.  Alongside this, many individuals with ADHD aren’t as tuned in to hunger and fullness cues or might find it difficult to stick to a routine, becoming distracted, and skipping meals, which sets them up for overeating or bingeing later in the day.

Studies suggest that those with ADHD have difficulty with frustration tolerance, impatience, temper, and excitability as well as experiencing higher levels of anxiety and stress. Food can be a quick and accessible remedy for difficult emotions. Furthermore, the ADHD brain produces inconsistent levels of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in feelings of pleasure and regulating attention. To raise levels of dopamine, people with ADHD may seek external sources, such as foods high in sugar and carbohydrate to adequately raise dopamine levels.

Also, many of the ADHD medications reduce appetite and therefore individuals might have no inclination for food during the daytime but when their medication wears off in the evenings, hunger cues return, and the person might be at risk of binge eating at night.

If you have an ADHD diagnosis or suspect that you are living with ADHD, it’s important to find a therapist who specialises in this area and can support you through eating disorder treatment.