Are Eating Disorders Related to Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder?
Open accessAbstract
Opinion statementAttention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder characterized by impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention. Binge-eating behavior is often impulsive and is the hallmark of the two eating disorders, binge-eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa (BN), both of which are associated with significant health impairment. Bingeing behavior is also seen in the binge purge subtype of anorexia nervosa. Individuals with AN of the binge purge subtypes, BN and BED, have been found to exhibit impulsive behaviors that are often not limited to binge eating alone. There is preliminary evidence linking ADHD to BN and to BED in both adults and children. The neurobiological mechanisms behind these associations are only beginning to emerge; however, they suggest that impulse control deficits may play a role in these eating disorders. Additionally, although they may not meet full criteria for one of these eating disorders, some adults and children with ADHD present with dysregulated, impulsive eating disorder behaviors and there is a growing association between ADHD, obesity, and binge-eating behavior in both children and adults. The relationship between ADHD and binge eating is novel, supported by growing evidence and worthy of further research. We will review the underlying neurobiological underpinnings, neuroimaging data, and possible psychopharmacological treatment options, which target both ADHD and binge-eating behaviors as well as future research and treatment directions.
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Multiple studies have shown that inattention fosters binge eating.
“Multiple studies have shown that inattention fosters binge eating (Cortese et al., 2007; Reinblatt, 2015).”
From Common Predictive Factors of Social Media Addiction and Eating Disorder Symptoms in Female College Students: State Anxiety and the Mediating Role of Cognitive Flexibility/Sustained Attention (2022) · cites this paper as Reinblatt, 2015
The Introduction’s section on proposed neuropsychological underpinnings says that inattention in ADHD may contribute to bulimic behaviors. The section on the ADHD–binge-eating relationship reports an association and one study linking childhood ADHD symptoms to later binge eating, but cautions that more evidence is needed to establish whether ADHD predisposes to it. The review therefore does not support the stronger claim that multiple studies have shown inattention fosters binge eating. (LLM, conf=0.88)
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He, Z., Li, M., Liu, C., & Ma, X. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.647126 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“Multiple studies have shown that inattention fosters binge eating (Cortese et al., 2007; Reinblatt, 2015).”
BackgroundMoldekleiv, C. D., Lundervold, A. J., Solberg, B. S., Engeland, A., Fadnes, L. T., Chalabianloo, F., & Klungsøyr, K. (2025) · BMC Psychiatry · doi:10.1186/s12888-025-07305-1 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
- Authors
- Reinblatt, S. P.
- Affiliations
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Reinblatt, Shauna P.
- ORCID
- Reinblatt, Shauna P.
- Venue
- Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry
- Published
- 2015-10-09
- Volume
- 2
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 402-412
- ISSN
- 2196-3061 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4777329
- OpenAlex
- W2149756524
- Semantic Scholar
- 429eca6f81be464a7da12e123a5b0f1aeaef77bc
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 61
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2
- FWCI
- 3.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Current Treatment Options in Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- National Institute of Mental Health (K23MH083000)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Keywords
- attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, binge eating, impulsivity, neurobiology of eating disorders, neuroimaging, psychopharmacological treatment, obesity
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