Is It An Eating Disorder, Or Is It ADHD Making Food Feel Impossible? Understanding the Overlap in Girls and Women
Written by Dr. Colleen Reichmann, owner and director of Wildflower Therapy
There are so many women in my office every week who talk about this reoccurring theme-they forget to eat until 4 PM. Those very same women are the often the ones buying groceries with the best intentions, only to throw them away a week later. And of course, understandably, these are also the women who talk about feeling like they “overeat” in the evenings. They swing between "I haven't eaten all day" and "I can't stop eating at night,” and it’s exhausting.
If you see yourself in any of this, or if you simply find yourself often wondering why eating feels harder than it seems to be for everyone else, then I am so glad this blog post reached you.
Because it’s worth thinking about it ADHD may be part of the picture. (AKA not laziness, not lack of discipline, and not a lack of nutrition knowledge- but a genuine, undiagnosed condition that can deeply impact food and eating.)
ADHD Doesn't Just Affect Attention-It Majorly Impacts How We Interact with Food
So let’s just get down to it-when most people picture ADHD, they often imagine someone who can't sit still. (And typically this someone is male, young, and causing mayhem in a classroom. Am I right?)
But the reality is that ADHD knows no gender. It’s just that we have only started to realize that it presents in a variety of ways that don’t necessarily mean hyperactivity. So for decades, women and girls have gone undiagnosed. But the most up to date research we have now shows that ADHD affects much more than attention. And so it can present in so many unique ways person to person, which can look like struggles in executive functioning, planning, initiation, working memory, emotional regulation, time awareness, or reward processing- in addition to hyperactivity!
Now, let’s pivot to think about everything eating requires.
Every day you have to:
• notice hunger
• remember to eat
• decide what sounds good
• buy groceries
• prepare food
• switch tasks to make time for meals
• stop working long enough to eat
• clean up afterward
For someone with ADHD, that's dozens of executive functioning tasks before the first bite. This is why eating doesn’t end up feeling "automatic," it feels like yet another project.
When ADHD Creates Eating Patterns That Look Like Eating Disorders
One of the most misunderstood aspects of ADHD is that its eating patterns can truly resemble an eating disorder, even when weight or body image aren't driving the behavior.
Someone might:
• skip meals because they lose track of time
• avoid cooking because it feels overwhelmingly complicated
• become so hyperfocused that hunger disappears
• rely on highly stimulating foods because they're easier to initiate
• eat quickly because they're finally aware they're starving
These behaviors can create guilt, shame, and nutritional consequences without starting as intentional restriction. But, to complicate it all even more, ADHD can also increase vulnerability to diagnosed eating disorders, including binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and, very commonly, ARFID.
The Invisible Experience of Women
So, because I can’t let it go yet, let’s circle back to the invisible gender bias of it all, shall we? Girls are much less likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than boys. The average age of diagnosis is closer to adulthood for women, while it remains around 6 for boys.
By adulthood, these women have spent decades hearing things like:
"You're so smart, you just need to be more organized."
"You just need more discipline, I know you can do this.”
"Why can't you stick with things?”
Over time, those messages become internalized.
Instead of wondering whether their brain works differently, women often conclude that something is wrong with them. (And, of course, that shame can become fertile ground for self-esteem struggles, disordered eating, and depression.)
And because our culture tends to push so much weight-obsession and food obsession on women in general, it’s easy to see how food can become an easy outlet for shame. There is already normalized food struggle, and if you are a women with undiagnosed ADHD, then food can so easily just become another place where you feel you’re constantly "failing."
Why Diet Culture Makes ADHD Even Harder
To be quite honest, most nutrition advice assumes consistent executive functioning.
It assumes you'll remember to:
• prep meals
• follow schedules
• resist impulses
• plan ahead
• grocery shop every Sunday
• eat balanced meals every three hours
For neurodivergent folks, these recommendations often don't feel supportive, they feel impossible. And shame inducing (back to that shame theme!) Every failed attempt can reinforce the belief that you’re just lazy or unmotivated. But in reality, the plan simply wasn't designed for the way your brain works.
It's Not Just About Forgetting to Eat
To be absolutely clear, when it comes to ADHD, the food struggle isn’t as simple as just forgetting to eat. Because the research shows that people with ADHD are more likely than the average person to experience:
• intense sensory sensitivities to food textures or smells
• difficulty recognizing hunger until it feels urgent
• dopamine-seeking through highly rewarding foods
• emotional eating during periods of overwhelm
• perfectionism around eating "correctly"
• rigid all-or-nothing thinking after perceived mistakes
The complicated part is that these are all patterns that are linked to eating disorders- and yet they don't automatically indicate an eating disorder. This is why is becomes so important to work with a highly educated clinician who has knowledge and training around the intersection of these two worlds- to help you unpack: Is it ADHD, is it an eating disorder, or is it both? (And, no matter the answer to these questions, the food component of it all deserve attention because the strain around eating can significantly affect physical health, emotional well-being, and quality of life.)
What Treatment Looks Like
One of the biggest shifts that I implement with women, once we’ve identified underlying ADHD, is moving away from asking:
"Why can't I just implement the techniques that every tells me to?”
And towards asking:
"How can I support the brain I actually have?"
For women experiencing both ADHD and eating concerns, treatment often focuses on:
• reducing shame
• creating flexible (rather than rigid) eating routines
• building executive functioning supports around meals
• improving interoceptive awareness of hunger and fullness
• actively rejecting typical eating and diet suggestions (and building up the confidence to do so)
• addressing body image concerns when present
• treating co-occurring anxiety, perfectionism, or depression
• developing strategies that work with, not against, ADHD
The goal isn't perfect eating (as it never should be!) The goal is making nourishment more accessible, sustainable, and hopefully peaceful.
You Don't Need to Fit Neatly Into One Diagnosis
Some women have ADHD. Some have an eating disorder. And some have both. But many spend years wondering why traditional nutrition advice and self-help strategies never seem to work.
So just remember, you don't have to force yourself into a diagnostic box before seeking support. If eating feels confusing, exhausting, stressful, or consuming, that's enough reason to talk with someone who understands the complexity of these experiences.
Looking for ADHD and Eating Disorder Therapy in Philadelphia?
At Wildflower Therapy, we provide neurodiversity-affirming, weight-inclusive therapy for kids, tends, adults, and families navigating eating disorders, body image concerns, ADHD, anxiety, and related challenges.
Our clinicians understand that food struggles are very multifaceted, and that effective treatment starts with understanding the whole person, not just their symptoms.
Whether you're coping with binge eating, chronic restriction, ARFID, or executive functioning challenges that make nourishing yourself difficult, we're here to help.
We offer in-person therapy in Philadelphia and Devon, PA, as well as virtual therapy throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, Ohio, South Carolina, and Florida.
Ready to take the next step? Contact Wildflower Therapy today to schedule a consultation and learn how compassionate, evidence-based care can help you build a healthier relationship with food (and with yourself!)
Frequently Asked Questions About ADHD and Eating Disorders
1. Can ADHD cause eating disorders?
ADHD does not directly cause an eating disorder, but research shows that people with ADHD are at a significantly higher risk of developing eating disorders, particularly binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, and ARFID. Challenges with impulsivity, emotional regulation, executive functioning, and dopamine regulation can all contribute to difficult relationships with food. Not everyone with ADHD develops an eating disorder, but understanding the connection can help guide effective treatment.
2. Why do women with ADHD forget to eat?
Many women with ADHD experience time blindness and hyperfocus, making it easy to lose track of hunger cues. Others find meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, and transitioning away from work or other tasks so overwhelming that eating gets delayed.
3. Is binge eating a symptom of ADHD?
Binge eating is not considered a core symptom of ADHD, BUT it occurs more frequently in people with ADHD than in the general population. Some people binge after unintentionally restricting all day, while others seek dopamine through highly rewarding foods during times of stress, boredom, or emotional overwhelm.
4. Can ADHD be mistaken for an eating disorder?
Yes. Some ADHD-related eating patterns (such as forgetting meals, eating irregularly, relying on convenience foods, or struggling with meal preparation) can resemble eating disorder symptoms. At the same time, ADHD and eating disorders often occur together, so it's important to receive a comprehensive evaluation rather than assuming there's only one explanation.
5. Why is ADHD in women often diagnosed so late?
Many girls and women develop coping strategies that mask ADHD symptoms. Instead of appearing hyperactive, they may be described as perfectionistic, anxious, disorganized, or emotionally sensitive. As a result, ADHD may go unrecognized until adulthood, when increasing responsibilities make executive functioning challenges harder to manage.
6. Is emotional eating related to ADHD?
It can be. ADHD affects emotional regulation, meaning some people turn to food as a way to soothe stress, boredom, frustration, or overwhelm. Emotional eating isn't unique to ADHD, but understanding how ADHD affects emotional processing can help people develop healthier coping strategies without shame.
7. Can ADHD medication affect eating?
YES. Many stimulant medications reduce appetite, particularly earlier in the day. This can make it more difficult to eat consistently and may unintentionally contribute to restriction or rebound overeating later in the evening. If someone has both ADHD and an eating disorder, medication decisions should ideally be made in collaboration with healthcare providers who understand both conditions.
8. Is ADHD linked to body image problems?
Research suggests that many people with ADHD experience body image concerns, although the relationship is complex. Years of feeling "different," struggling with impulsivity, experiencing weight changes, or receiving criticism about eating habits can all contribute to body dissatisfaction and low self-esteem.
9. What type of therapy helps with ADHD and eating disorders?
The most effective treatment depends on each person's needs. Therapy may include evidence-based eating disorder treatment, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), executive functioning strategies, and neurodiversity-affirming approaches. For many women, treatment also involves addressing shame, perfectionism, anxiety, and body image-aka not just eating behaviors.
10. How do I know if my eating struggles are caused by ADHD or an eating disorder?
Sometimes it's one, sometimes it's the other, and often it's both. A mental health professional can help determine whether your eating patterns are primarily related to executive functioning challenges, body image concerns, sensory sensitivities, emotional regulation, or a diagnosable eating disorder. Understanding the "why" behind your eating patterns is an important first step toward finding the right support.