ADHD and Binge Eating
[NOTE: This blog was orginally written by Toni Rudd (The Binge Dietitian) for Talic Cecchele Nutrition Clinic (TCN Clinic) but has been edited & adapted for this website]
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder which impacts a person's everyday life, in particular relationships, work or school performance, self-esteem and lifestyle choices.
Research has shown that there is a link between eating disorders (EDs), particularly binge eating disorder, due to the similar traits presenting in both disorders. There is an increased risk of developing an ED if a person is living with ADHD (1) which can lead to difficulty in receiving a diagnosis and receiving appropriately tailored treatment.
What is ADHD?
In 2022, it is estimated that 5% of children and 3-4% of adults have ADHD (3).
There are no tests or scans that can diagnose ADHD so if you think your child or you have ADHD, it is important to speak to your GP. They will assess the symptoms and refer you to a specialist service for an assessment. Within the assessment, they will review the symptoms in 3 different categories:
Inattentiveness: difficulties with completing tasks, paying attention, and thinking.
Hyperactivity/Impulsiveness: high level of activity and/or excitement and acting on sudden ideas, thoughts or feelings
Combination of both (2)
Other symptoms of ADHD are difficulties concentrating, organising, restlessness, forgetfulness and/or reduced attention span. This means it can be extremely difficult for the person with ADHD to plan, remember, control emotions and respond to situations. Sleep can also be hugely impacted. (4)
Whilst there is no single cause for the development of ADHD (4), it is thought that someone with ADHD can experience low dopamine levels. Dopamine allows us to regulate emotional responses and take action to achieve specific rewards.
What is the link between EDs and ADHD?
It is very common to see ADHD coexist with all types of EDs including.
Research suggests a person with ADHD is at an 11% higher risk of developing EDs such as binge eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN). If you want to read more about BED, read this blog post.
While there is no single cause for ADHD and BED, often it is linked to certain biological and environmental factors such as family history and trauma.
What are the similar traits of ADHD and binge eating?
Increased exposure to restrictive diets:
A person with ADHD can remove certain foods from their diet to improve their symptoms. Foods most commonly restricted include egg, soy and gluten. There is no current evidence that supports elimination diets to treat ADHD but this exposure to restrictive dieting overtime can develop into rigid thinking and food rules.
Irregular and erratic food intake
In ADHD, This might include skipping meals or not eating enough food because of low appetite or forgetfulness, especially when hyper-focused on tasks. Not eating enough food across the day can lead to binge eating and eating past what feels comfortable.
Difficulties with impulsive behaviours:
Impulsivity traits are seen in both ADHD and eating disorders, particularly BED. People with ADHD might struggle to resist the urge to binge, leading to feelings of guilt/shame and/or purge-type behaviours.
Reward deficiency syndrome:
This highlights how difficult it can be for someone with ADHD to feel the response to dopamine due to the low levels in the brain. Eating is stimulating which gives an immediate dopamine rush. This can lead to binge eating, which is then met with feelings of guilt and shame.
Medication Considerations for ADHD
Medication is often prescribed to support someone with ADHD to help them in their everyday activities. These medications (stimilants and non-stimulants) can come with side effects such as reduced appetite, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
Having a reduced appetite can make it difficult to remember to eat, meal planning and spontaneity and difficult to get enough energy which can lead to binge eating behaviours.
It is also typical for a person with ADHD to experience binge eating when the medication has worn off as it does suppress appetite and forgetting to eat is very common, e.g., if the medication is taken in the morning, then binge eating can occur in the evening/middle of the night.
Nutritional Considerations for ADHD and Eating Disorders
Make a mealtime routine and don’t wait for hunger cues
Aim to eat three main meals and two to three snacks each day. It might help to set regular alarms or have reminders for eating if you are prone to forget or are usually distracted to avoid going long periods without food. This will help to establish your hunger cues and minimise erratic and impulsive eating.
Reduce decision overwhelm/fatigue
If you struggle with decision-making and can get overwhelmed with too many choices when it comes to meal times. It will be helpful to plan your meals by writing a meal plan. Try to avoid planning a different meal every day and make the most of cooking more at meal times so you can use leftovers to reduce time.
Reduce caffeine intake
There is some thought that caffeine can increase concentration, similar to ADHD medication. However, it is not currently supported to be used as an alternative to medication. If you have ADHD, you could be more susceptible to the side effects of caffeine with increased jitters, irritability, anxiety, stomach pains and headaches. A high intake of caffeine can also contribute to a reduced appetite.
Emotional and/or bored eating management
Understanding and learning the reasons why you turn to food to deal with emotions is really important to set up a plan. If it is linked to low dopamine levels, increasing ways to feel stimulated away from food is very important. This might include playing a game, gardening or drawing.
Build a positive night routine to improve your sleep
Not sleeping well or enough can have an impact on your diet and food choices the next day. Having a wind-down routine for sleeping can be helpful to improve the amount/quality of sleep you are getting. This could include reducing screen time, making the room dark and cosy and idea dumping in a notepad.
Need support with ADHD & Binge Eating?
Having ADHD and binge eating disorder can be overwhelming and difficult to manage alone, especially if it has been going on for a long time. Toni offers 1:1 consultations to support you in positive, health promoting behaviours that help you to stop dieting and binge eating. You can find out more about how Toni can support you here.
MY MISSION: EMBRACING A BALANCED AND SUSTAINABLE APPROACH
At The Binge Dietitian, Toni’s mission is simple yet powerful: to help yo-yo dieters liberate themselves from binge eating and find lasting peace with food. I am passionate about guiding you towards a healthier relationship with both your body and the food you consume. Together, we will set sustainable and realistic goals that support your overall well-being.
