What types of eating disorders might co-occur with ADHD?

Research suggests that any eating disorder can co-occur with ADHD, but certain types might be more common than others.[1] Here's a brief overview of the crossovers:

ADHD and binge eating disorder

Binge eating disorder is a mental health condition. It’s when someone feels unable to stop eating despite feeling full, and regularly eats a lot of food within a short space of time. It’s common for people with binge eating disorder to eat ‘in secret’, eat when not hungry, and feel guilt or shame afterwards.

• Studies suggest that binge eating behaviours are significantly more likely to occur in people with ADHD than those without ADHD.[1]
• Impulsivity and inattention might contribute to worsening binge-eating behaviours.[1][2]
• Some ADHD medications are actually FDA-approved for both ADHD and binge-eating disorder, to help manage impulsivity and cravings.[1]

ADHD and anorexia

Anorexia is also a recognised mental health condition. People with anorexia will attempt to keep as low a weight as possible through various means. These may include eating very little, overexercising, inducing themselves to be sick, or emptying their bowels with laxatives. 

• Impulsivity is often linked to binge-eating, but some studies have found it also correlates to restrictive diets.
• Studies found that higher rates of impulsivity were also linked to a higher occurrence of restrictive dieting, fasting, and high-calorie food avoidance.[3]
• Evidence suggests that the severity of one condition doesn’t affect the other.[3]

ADHD and bulimia

Bulimia is characterised by binge eating and ‘purging’. Purging may include making yourself sick, taking laxatives, avoiding food for long periods, or excessive exercise. It’s a mental health condition, and people with bulimia may be very highly self-conscious about their weight and body shape. 

• Studies have found a significantly higher rate of bulimia in women with ADHD than those without.[2]
• Studies also suggest that girls with ADHD are 5.6 times more likely to develop bulimia.[2]
• Impulsivity is thought to contribute to rigid food control behaviours, triggering binging and purging episodes.[3]

ADHD and other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED)

OSFED is when someone has symptoms that can’t be clearly defined as one specific disorder. 

• Many people with ADHD don’t fit into strict eating disorder categories, but still struggle with disordered eating patterns.[1] 
• Brain studies show that ADHD and binge eating behaviours both involve reward processing and lack of impulse control, possibly linked to dopamine imbalances in both conditions.[1]
• Research suggests that people with ADHD are at a higher risk of obesity.[1]

Getting treatment for eating disorders with ADHD

Treating ADHD won't automatically improve eating disorder symptoms.[3] The relationship is complex, and needs an appropriate treatment plan. But if you have ADHD and you’re struggling with an eating disorder, support is available.

Read more about treating eating disorders and ADHD. 

References:

1. Reinblatt, S.P. (2015). Are Eating Disorders Related to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder? Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry, 2(4), pp.402–412. 
2. Cortese, S., et al. (2008). Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Binge Eating. Nutrition Reviews, 65(9), pp.404–411. 
3. Stulz, N., et al. (2013). The severity of ADHD and eating disorder symptoms: a correlational study. BMC Psychiatry, 13(1).