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Recently heard some stats that 30% of people with Binge Eating Disorders also have a history of ADHD
I wanna talk about this topic for a tick, with mind to how it sits at the intersection between neurodiversity & fatphobia
I wanna talk about this topic for a tick, with mind to how it sits at the intersection between neurodiversity & fatphobia
30% seems like a pretty big overlap
The most common reasoning for this that I've seen suggests it's due to ADHD folk having poor impulse control.
There's a separate topic about ADHD & "poor impulse control" that I won't go into, but this logic flows well for a fatphobic society
The most common reasoning for this that I've seen suggests it's due to ADHD folk having poor impulse control.
There's a separate topic about ADHD & "poor impulse control" that I won't go into, but this logic flows well for a fatphobic society
When this link isn't amongst other (imo much more compelling) reasons, it reinforces a biased cultural belief that poor willpower = overeating = fatness, and vice versa. If someone is fat, then they just don't try hard enough
The flip side, ironically, for ADHD folk, is that our difficulties with impulse control often aren't understood or taken seriously by society. We are told to "just try harder"
These ideas boil down to the dismissing the difficulties of ADHD and binge eating disorders as laziness. If we just tried harder, we'd workout/get our work done/eat less/be organised/lose weight/find our keys etc.
Ok so what are the other logical reasonings I mentioned for this significant statistical overlap? Let's go through them one by one
1. A simple one to begin: Restlessness.
ADHD folk tend to be fidgety and restless; our bodies want to keep moving alllll the damn time, especially when we're supposed to be still (like watching tv). A packet of chips or chocolates will keep our hands busy and ease that feeling
ADHD folk tend to be fidgety and restless; our bodies want to keep moving alllll the damn time, especially when we're supposed to be still (like watching tv). A packet of chips or chocolates will keep our hands busy and ease that feeling
2. Inattention
A common symptom of ADHD is focus dysregulation; that is, we don't really have control over what we do or don't pay attention to. This means our brains might not properly receive a food sated signal or we might not notice we've already eaten 3/4 of the chips
A common symptom of ADHD is focus dysregulation; that is, we don't really have control over what we do or don't pay attention to. This means our brains might not properly receive a food sated signal or we might not notice we've already eaten 3/4 of the chips
3. Difficulties with routine
Sticking to a self-regulated schedule is another common difficulty for folk with ADHD. That includes both meal prep and set meal times. This can lead to skipping meals or sacrificing nutritional value for a quick'n'easy bite
Sticking to a self-regulated schedule is another common difficulty for folk with ADHD. That includes both meal prep and set meal times. This can lead to skipping meals or sacrificing nutritional value for a quick'n'easy bite
4. Dopamine
Neurologically, ADHD brains are shown to have lower levels of dopamine than non-ADHD brains. That's the premise of most medications and other treatments for it. What else gives you a dopamine hit?
Food
Neurologically, ADHD brains are shown to have lower levels of dopamine than non-ADHD brains. That's the premise of most medications and other treatments for it. What else gives you a dopamine hit?
Food
This is the big one that made me made this thread today:
5. Literally sugar-starved
ADHD brains exhibit a decreased glucose metabolism, which means they have less energy in certain areas of the prefrontal cortext. The brain responds by screaming for sugar & carbs as cravings
5. Literally sugar-starved
ADHD brains exhibit a decreased glucose metabolism, which means they have less energy in certain areas of the prefrontal cortext. The brain responds by screaming for sugar & carbs as cravings
I'm particularly passionate about all this as someone who; is fat, has ADHD and has struggled with binge cravings my whole life.
When I was diagnosed with ADHD & began treatment last year something unexpected happened. Can you guess what?
My food cravings completely evaporated
When I was diagnosed with ADHD & began treatment last year something unexpected happened. Can you guess what?
My food cravings completely evaporated
I want to emphasise that this was *not* just not being hungry due to a suppressed appetite. Hunger != cravings.
It took losing these cravings to really appreciate just how awful & powerful they were. Just how much they ruled me and how much I beat myself up for having them
It took losing these cravings to really appreciate just how awful & powerful they were. Just how much they ruled me and how much I beat myself up for having them
Unsurprisingly, that feeling (realising I had internalised unreasonable societal expectations), mirrored my ADHD difficulties. Now that I could actually perform tasks on demand, I realised just how incredibly difficult it had been previously to get anything done
The biggest transformation I've gone through wasn't directly caused by my ADHD treatment. It was working through internalised ideas about laziness & self-control. My diagnosis gave me permission to stop beating myself up. It gave me permission to release societal expectations
And that brings us back to that stat; it doesn't really matter why 30% of people with BED have a history of ADHD. Surely what we know now will be altered by future science, knowledge & experience
