ADHD & Binge Eating: Unravelling the Connection
Did you know that around 30% of binge eaters also have ADHD?
A number of the women I have worked with, discovered later in life that they had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This is no coincidence. For those who struggle with binge or emotional eating there are a number of factors that overlap with symptoms of ADHD.
Until recently ADHD in girls and women had been overlooked, partly because ADHD symptoms can manifest differently in girls compared to boys, leading to underdiagnoses.
Women may exhibit less hyperactivity and more of the internalised symptoms such as being highly sensitive or anxious and forgetful which were not traditionally associated with ADHD.
Additionally, societal expectations and gender norms led to girls being especially effective at masking their symptoms, with expectations of being more organised and focused. It is only now that experts are recognising the reasons behind their challenges.
Hyper focusing on tasks is one of the common symptoms of ADHD in women and this can lead to individuals forgetting to eat at regular meals times often leading to extreme hunger and cravings later in the day, which can be a binge eating trigger.
Moreover, people with ADHD have been found to have lower dopamine levels. (Dopamine is the brain chemical associated with reward and pleasure). For those who battle with binge eating, low dopamine levels could mean that you are constantly seeking pleasure and stimulation from food.
These are just a few of the factors that help to explain the link between binge eating and ADHD and I delve deeper into this topic in my upcoming book about how to overcome binge and emotional eating, due to be published later this year.