Eating Disorders and ADHD
Posted on July 18, 2024 by Julie Perlee, One of Thousands of ADD ADHD Coaches on Noomii.
The connection between ADHD and Disordered Eating
Recent studies have shown a significant relationship with ADHD and eating disorders. Traits from both inattentive and hyperactive ADHD types have proven to play a role in disordered eating. For example: managing a home pantry, a kitchen, a recipe, then shopping, or meal planning (not to mention the health trend/scare/cleanse/pill/berry or psychedelic of the moment…) can require a degree of organization, planning, focus, patience, follow through, working memory, self-compassion and time management skills. None of which usually come easily to persons experiencing ADHD traits.
Or another example would be forgetfulness, a common trait for ADHD’ers. We often forget to eat. Which can lead to low blood sugar, mood swings, emotional dysregulation (Hangry). Which then has great potential to lead to eating anything and everything that is easiest, closest proximity and/or edible within a short period of time. Which then would lend the individual at the risk of feeling tremendous guilt, shame and low self-worth.
Women with binge eating disorder (BED) are almost 6 times as likely to have ADHD than those with other eating disorders. I cried when I hear this one.
It would make complete sense that obesity is also substantially linked to ADHD. Undiagnosed girls and women, year by year, accumulating symptoms of depression, anxiety, shame cycles, insomnia, eating disorders and so many other diseases from doing their best to cope with so much confusion around their needs and what it means to take care of themselves.
There are very painful and real social, mental and health consequences of years of not knowing wtf is happening.
Late diagnosis often comes with the: always feeling like a failure, feeling broken and worth-less because we can’t just do the thing, whatever that thing is, whether its losing weight or staying on top of relationships, direction, hobbies, bills or personal hygiene.
I am here to tell you:
You are not broken.
You are important.
The world is better with you in it, just as you are.
By understanding how our traits affect us. We can untangle this web. We may not be able to heal ADHD completely and we can learn how to thrive with it.
From my mind, food and movement are Love. They are life. And, we are learning and will continue to learn together.
It is time to take back our ability to receive food and movement as Love and enjoy our miracle of a body just as it is. We are worthy of that. All of us.
Please stay tuned and stay in touch.
Hugs, Julie
