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Social media has brought ADHD and its challenges (especially for women) into sharp focus. What is often missing is the science behind those difficulties, and how we can improve functioning with and without medication, or an official diagnosis.
In my practice I see a lot of women (often experiencing peri-menopause and menopause) struggling with weight issues. They are frustrated by their bodies, and the fact that their old weight loss strategies don’t seem to work like they used to.
While often underdiagnosed in females, ADHD can silently contribute to chronic weight struggles, emotional eating, and metabolic risk as we age.
So how and why does this happen?
For women struggling with weight and food regulation, undiagnosed ADHD could be a missing piece of the puzzle.
The Executive Function Connection
Our ability to plan our meals, maintain weight loss routines, delay gratification and monitor our hunger cues relies on our pre-frontal cortex supporting these actions. This Executive Function centre regulates our behaviour using neurotransmitters (chemical messengers), we now know function differently in the ADHD brain. This can contribute to higher body mass index (BMI) and obesity risk.
Impulse Control and Emotional Eating
Impulsivity, another hallmark of ADHD, is strongly associated with disordered eating patterns. New research suggests that women in the peri-menopausal stage are more likely to binge, and those in menopause are more likely to restrict. Women, who often exhibit more inattentive than hyperactive symptoms, may turn to food for emotional regulation, especially without a specialised ADHD friendly support.
Hormonal Influences in Women
The female experience of ADHD and weight issues is further complicated by estrogen and dopamine (both involved in ADHD and appetite regulation). Hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle, perimenopause, and menopause can exacerbate both ADHD symptoms and emotional eating. This helps to explain why many of us report increased ADHD symptoms and weight gain during these times.
Sleep, ADHD, and Metabolism
I cannot stress how vitally important quality sleep is for weight management. Unfortunately, sleep disturbances are common in ADHD and contribute to weight gain. This is because sub-optimal sleep alters cortisol, a hormone change leading to increased cravings and difficulties regulating glucose. Add to this the fact that we are often already struggling to manage caregiving roles, work, and perhaps untreated ADHD, chronic sleep debt becomes even more of a metabolic liability.
The Treatment Gap
Despite the strong evidence linking ADHD and obesity, particularly in women, many of us remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with depression or anxiety alone. A recent comprehensive review highlighted that addressing ADHD pharmacologically and behaviourally can lead to improvements in weight and eating behaviours—yet few weight programs screen for or treat ADHD in adult women.
Conclusion
For women struggling with weight and food regulation, undiagnosed ADHD could be a missing piece of the puzzle. Awareness among clinicians and patients is growing, but research suggests more tailored interventions are needed. Understanding ADHD’s role in weight isn’t just about behaviour—it’s about brain-based differences that deserve recognition and support.
If you have found this information helpful and feel you may be one of the many women struggling with weight and undiagnosed / untreated ADHD, then tailored help is available.
Further information can be found at:
https://www.drpsychology.com.au/services/weightwise-clinic/
References
- Cortese, S., Tessari, L. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obesity: Update 2016. Curr Psychiatry Rep 19, 4 (2017) https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-017-0754-1
- Kelly, C. A., Kelly, C., & Taylor, R. (2024). Review of the psychosocial consequences of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Females. European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences, 6(1), 10-20
- Nazar, B. P., Bernardes, C., Peachey, G., Sergeant, J., Mattos, P., & Treasure, J. (2016). The risk of eating disorders comorbid with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 49(12), 1045-1057
- Pagoto, S. L., Curtin, C., Bandini, L. G., Anderson, S. E., Schneider, K. L., Bodenlos, J. S., & Ma, Y. (2010). Weight loss following a clinic-based weight loss program among adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 15, e166-e172.
- Seymour, K. E., Reinblatt, S. P., Benson, L., & Carnell, S. (2015). Overlapping neurobehavioral circuits in ADHD, obesity, and binge eating: evidence from neuroimaging research. CNS Spectrums, 20(4), 401–411.
- Yoon, S. Y. R., Jain, U. R., & Shapiro, C. M. (2013). Sleep and daytime function in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: subtype differences. Sleep medicine, 14(7), 648-655.