ADHD and overeating – Is there a link? 4 Strategies to Manage ADHD and Overeating

People with ADHD might find themselves overeating for a few reasons, and understanding these can help manage or prevent this behavior:

• • Executive dysfunction

Imagine you’re planning to build an epic LEGO set. You know you need to sort the pieces, follow the instructions, and maybe even set a schedule to get it done.

But what if every time you started, you got distracted by another cool set or couldn’t find the pieces you needed?

It might take forever to finish, or you might end up rushing through it, making mistakes along the way.

For people with ADHD, managing daily tasks, like meal planning and eating at regular times, can be a lot like trying to build that LEGO set without being able to organize or stick to a plan. 

This is often referred to as executive dysfunction, which means they have trouble with planning, organization, and controlling impulses.

Because of these challenges, someone with ADHD might forget to eat meals at regular times, which can lead to becoming extremely hungry. 

When they finally remember to eat, they might be so hungry that they eat much more than usual, quickly and all at once—kind of like finally getting all the right LEGO pieces and then trying to put them together as fast as possible.

This pattern can lead to overeating because it’s hard to control how much you’re eating when you’re really hungry. It’s like when you’re building so fast that you don’t notice you’ve used the wrong pieces until it’s too late. 

For someone with ADHD, not having a regular eating schedule can make it tough to maintain balanced eating habits, just as not organizing your LEGO pieces makes it tough to build the set correctly.

• • Impulsivity

For people with ADHD, dealing with impulsivity can be a bit like playing that fast-paced game. Impulsivity means acting quickly without stopping to think about the consequences first.

When it comes to eating, this can lead to grabbing a snack or extra helping without really considering if they are truly hungry or if it’s the best choice at that moment.

This quick, impulsive decision-making can make it hard for someone with ADHD to pause and think, “Am I really hungry, or is this just a craving?” Before they know it, they might have eaten much more than they intended, leading to overeating.

It’s like hitting the jump button too quickly in the game—you end up making a move without really planning or thinking it through.

• • Dopamine deficiency

Now, think of dopamine as a natural reward system in your brain, similar to the points in your game. It helps you feel pleasure and satisfaction when you do something enjoyable, like eating tasty food, hanging out with friends, or winning a game.

For people with ADHD, their brains might not release as much dopamine as other people’s brains do. This can be like playing a game where the rewards don’t show up as often or as expected. Because these dopamine “rewards” are less frequent, individuals with ADHD might not feel as satisfied by everyday activities and may turn to things that give a quick and strong dose of pleasure, like eating sugary or fatty “reward” foods.

Eating these kinds of foods can temporarily make someone feel better because they release more dopamine, giving a feeling similar to earning a big reward in a game. However, just like getting too many in-game rewards can make the game less challenging or healthy, relying on high-calorie foods for dopamine can lead to overeating.

So, just as a gamer might need to find new strategies when the game doesn’t reward them enough, people with ADHD might need to explore other healthy ways to increase their dopamine levels, like exercising, engaging in hobbies they enjoy, or spending time in nature. This can help them balance their dopamine levels without turning to overeating as a solution.

• • Emotional dysregulation

Imagine you’re having a really tough day at work — maybe a project didn’t go well, or you had a disagreement with a friend. 

When you get home, you might feel the urge to do something that cheers you up or helps you forget about the stress. For some people, this might mean watching their favorite TV show, playing a video game, or diving into a pile of snacks.

For adults with ADHD, managing emotions can sometimes be extra challenging. They might feel emotions more intensely and have a harder time calming down when they’re upset or stressed. This is a bit like having a remote control with buttons that stick—you press to change the channel or lower the volume, but the response is delayed or unpredictable.

When faced with strong emotions like stress, sadness, or even boredom, some adults with ADHD might turn to eating—especially lots of comfort foods like chips, cookies, or ice cream—as a quick way to feel better.

Eating these foods can be soothing in the moment because it distracts from the negative feelings and might even bring a temporary sense of happiness or calm, similar to the relief you feel when you start watching a favorite show or chatting with a friend.

However, just like watching too much TV can interfere with getting homework done, using food to cope with emotions can lead to overeating and not really solving the underlying feelings.

It’s important for people with ADHD to learn other ways to handle their emotions, like talking about their feelings, doing some physical activity, or practicing relaxation techniques. These strategies can help manage emotions without turning to food as the only comfort.