subject: Adhd And Eating Disorders [print this page] An estimated three to five percent of American youth and four percent of adults are affected by the neurobiological disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The disorder can cause many problems in a persons life if it goes undiagnosed or is not well managed. It can even lead to the development of other disorders, including eating disorders.
Eating disorders commonly affect young women but can affect men too. Approximately ten million women and one million men in the U.S. suffer from an eating disorder. Major eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and compulsive eating.
Research shows that ADHD and eating disorders often go hand in hand. A study in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (August 2007) followed a group of adolescent girls with ADHD and a group without ADHD for five years to evaluate the link between ADHD and eating disorders. The researchers found that ADHD significantly increases the risk of eating disorders and further, that the presence of an eating disorder in girls with ADHD heightens the risk of additional morbidity and dysfunction.
ADHD is a neurobiological disorder that affects a persons cognitive, physical, psychological, and neurological body functions. Many people develop an eating disorder as a way to control, suppress, or escape from their problems, similar to the way many people turn to drugs or alcohol.
Eating disorders should not be taken lightly; they are very damaging and can have fatal consequences. The mortality rate of eating disorder-related deaths is extremely high at 18% to 20%. Kidney failure and cardiac arrest are among the most common causes of death in individuals with chronic bulimia. Bulimia is the eating disorder defined as routine binge eating followed by immediate purging.
Bulimia, binge eating, and compulsive eating are the more prevalent eating disorders seen among individuals who also have ADHD. There are many suspected reasons for this relationship. Individuals with uncontrolled ADHD are poor organizers (i.e. dont regulate their sleep or eating habits well), are impulsive and driven by instant gratification, and are very sensory focused. Food is very sensory and thus they can use it to attempt to control or escape their problems.
ADHD and an eating disorder combined can be a deleterious combination in a persons life and if left untreated can ultimately cause death. An individual with an eating disorder and a diagnosis of ADHD should seek treatment for the two conditions together. An eating disorder treatment center with combined medical expertise in treating ADHD will provide the best results.
