If you have ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), you might have noticed that your relationship with food can be a bit complicated.
You are not alone in struggling with both disordered eating and ADHD. Understanding the link between can help you navigate them more effectively.
In this blog, I’ll explore how ADHD can impact your eating habits, why you might face challenges with food, and share some warm, practical strategies to help you manage both ADHD and any disordered eating patterns.
The link between ADHD and eating disorders
ADHD often manifests as inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These traits can significantly influence your eating behaviours and thoughts.
For instance, if you struggle with impulsivity, you might find yourself eating without thinking or binging on your favorite snacks. Studies indicate that people with ADHD have a higher likelihood of having various eating disorders, such as:
Binge eating disorder (BED)
ADHD and binge eating are the most common merger that I see.
If you have ADHD, you might experience impulsive urges to eat large amounts of food quickly, often driven by emotional triggers rather than physical hunger. It’s common to feel out of control during these episodes, and understanding this connection can be the first step toward healthier eating habits.
Bulimia nervosa
As the urge to purge can be amplified by not being able to relax and sit with your emotions, it’s common to struggle when you have ADHD.
Some people with ADHD may fall into cycles of binging and purging. The feelings of guilt and shame after an episode can be overwhelming, and the impulsivity linked to ADHD can make it challenging to break this cycle.
Over-exercising and purging with exercise is common if you have ADHD. This can be a mix between having excess energy and wanting to make up for food.
Anorexia nervosa
While it’s less common, some people with ADHD may develop restrictive eating habits and anorexia. The hyper-focus characteristic of ADHD can sometimes lead to an unhealthy obsession with restriction and an intense fear of weight gain.
Other eating disorders and ADHD
There are many others types of eating disorders and presentations of disordered eating. One that shares ADHD’s sensory sensivity as a symptom is ARFID. You might identify with orthorexia, purging disorder, night eating syndrome, or OSFED if you have ADHD.
There is no one-type-of-relationship-with-food that fits all. No matter what diagnosis you do or don’t have, you deserve support for both disordered eating and ADHD.
Why exactly might you struggle with disordered eating if you have ADHD?
If you have ADHD, several factors may contribute to challenges with food:
Impulsivity
Impulsivity might be eating foods without thinking really often, not being able to tolerate difficult emotions, or do things without thinking them through first.
Emotional regulation
ADHD often comes with emotional ups and downs. If you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or bored, you might turn to food as a source of comfort. Recognizing this pattern can help you find healthier ways to cope, such as engaging in self-care , distraction activities, or attending to your emotions.
Inattention to hunger cues
You might struggle to recognize when you’re hungry or full, which can lead to missed meals or overeating later when hunger becomes overwhelming. This is a completely natural response to the body being hungry. This might be intentional or unintentional.
Hyper-focus on food
At times, your ADHD may cause you to hyper-focus on food and eating. This can lead to obsessive thoughts about what you eat and consequently, the impact of food on your appearance or health.
This is way you might find it very easy to start something, but following through is difficult. I often hear from clients with ADHD that one thing they are really “good at” is disordered eating. That’s because disordered eating behaviours are very easy to fall deep into.
Poor time management
If managing your time feels challenging, you may find it hard to plan and prepare meals. This might lead to skipping meals, eating past fullness when you do eat (followed up with feeling guilty, purging, or restricting at the next meal).
Not having great time management can also mean you just don’t feel connected with food or great about eating.
Strategies for managing ADHD if you struggle with disordered eating
While managing ADHD and disordered eating can be challenging, there are many strategies that can help.
Here are some practical tips to consider:
Practice curiosity
Being very militant with yourself is not going to help. You know yourself really well, so what areas of your relationship with food is being impacted most by ADHD? Start there, and make practical steps to change it.
Establish a regular eating routine
Creating a structured routine so that you’re eating regularly can greatly benefit you. If you’re in eating disorder recovery, you may benefit from mechanical eating. This is when you eat by the clock rathter than by your body cues, and eat a minimum amount of food regardless of hunger.
For most people, it feels most energising and good in their body to eat every 2-4 hours. This would be 3 meals and 2-3 snacks per day. E.g., breakfast at 8am, lunch at 12pm, dinner at 7pm plus snacks in between.
This might mean that you should plan meals more; either by meal or ingredient prepping or eating leftovers. Try setting regular meal times and sticking to them as much as possible.
Address emotional eating
Emotional eating can be consuming more or less food during emotional times. I recommend reaching out for 1-1 therapy if you struggle to cope with your emotions.
Alternatively, there are some great books for emotional eating including The DBT Solution for Emotional Eating (specifically for binge eating) (*) and The Emotional Eating Workbook (I recommend for anyone) (*)
Meal prep and planning
Meal prepping can be a game-changer for managing impulsive eating. When you have meals ready to eat, it’s easier to commit to fuelling your body. Consider dedicating some time each week to plan and prepare meals, ensuring you have options on hand.
This is especially helpful when in disordered eating recovery as hunger can be quite erratic. So you might benefit from always having convience options. Such as frozen pizza, ready meals, instant meals like noodles or add-hot-water type options.
Final thoughts: ADHD and eating disorders
By recognizing the signs of exercise addiction and implementing these strategies, you can create a more balanced, enjoyable approach to physical activity.
The key is to shift your focus from perfection and obsession to health, happiness, and well-being. Take control of your relationship with exercise and let movement become something that enhances your life rather than controls it.
This blog was written by Registered Nutritionist and Registered Therapist Shannon Western.
Final thoughts and resources: ADHD and eating disorders
The connection between ADHD and eating disorders can be challenging, but remember, you are not alone. By understanding how ADHD influences your eating habits and taking proactive steps, you can cultivate a healthier relationship with food.
I’ve worked with many people who have ADHD and struggle with disordered eating. By healing their relationship with food, they have more time and energy to focus on managing ADHD (and vice versa).
Resources:
- I really like Madelyn Larouche’s Instagram – she is a non-diet and weight-inclusive dietitian who specialises in ADHD
- There is a new book coming in March 2025 by Rebecca King (currently available for pre-order (*)). This is a non-diet guide to eating with ADHD!
How to get started with disordered eating nutrition therapy/therapy
If you’re ready to explore how I can support you with both disordered eating and ADHD, please book a Clarity Call—a 30-minute session where we can discuss your needs and get started with support. Feel free to send me any questions you have if you’re not ready to book just yet.
(*) Any links marked with (*) are affiliate links. This means Ease Nutrition Therapy LTD. earns commission from any sales made using this link. We only recommend products and services that we truly enjoy and think you would find helpful.
