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Connection Between ADHD and OFSED in the Pediatric Patient
Contributor: Leigh Bell, BA, writer for Eating Disorder Hope
The link between eating disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or ADHD in young people has become more conspicuous over the last few years. However, we don’t know the cause of this relationship.
The Research Says
A comprehensive analysis of research on ADHD and eating disorders turned up just eight articles, from which researchers determined youth with ADHD were more 3 to 6 times more likely to develop an eating disorders than youth without ADHD. [1]
Young people with ADHD were also more likely to have higher rates of body dissatisfaction and a desire to lose weight or be thin, the analysis reports.
Evidence of the link is surfacing, but still unknown is why ADHD makes young people more vulnerable to eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder, an OSFED, or other specified feeding or eating disorder. OSFED is actually the most commonly diagnosed eating disorder in a clinical setting. [2]
OSFED replaced nearly three years ago in the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, the diagnosis of EDNOS, or eating disorder not otherwise specified. Really, OSFED is an eating or feeding disorder that doesn’t exactly fit in the diagnostic boxes of anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorder (BED), and other less common eating disorders.
Five OSFED Subtypes
You might not have heard of OSFED before for the same reason: It doesn’t fit cleanly in a box. There are five OSFED subtypes: [3]
Atypical anorexia nervosa: Someone who restricts food and has other anorexic behavior but whose
weight isn’t low enough for the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa.- Bulimia: Meets all the DSM criteria for bulimia but doesn’t do the behaviors as much and/or as long as DSM requires for bulimia diagnosis.
- BED: Binges but not as much and/or as long as DSM criteria for BED diagnosis.
- Purging: recurrent purging by self-induced vomiting and overuse of exercise, laxatives, and/or diuretics.
- Night eating syndrome: Regularly eating after waking up during the night or overeating after the evening meal.
Health risks of OSFED, the manual states, are severe, and some studies show the mortality rate meets the thresholds for anorexia, which is the most fatal mental health disorder.
Another link between eating disorders and ADHD is found in the medication mostly commonly called Adderall. The drug has been used since 2007 to treat ADHD, but just this year, the Federal Drug Administration approved the medication, marketed as Vynase, to treat BED, binge-eating disorder.
The drug is a mental stimulant to help the brain focus and be less vulnerable to emotional changes, a factor that can contribute to binge eating problems.
Community Discussion – Share your thoughts here!
What are your thoughts on the relationship between ADHD and eating disorders? Why do you think people with ADHD are more vulnerable for eating disorders?
About the Author: Leigh Bell holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with minors in Creative Writing and French from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. She is a published author, journalist with 15 years of experience, and a recipient of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowship for Mental Health Journalism. Leigh is recovered from a near-fatal, decade-long battle with anorexia and the mother of three young, rambunctious children.
References
[1]: Curtin, C., Pagoto, S., Mick, E. (2013). The association between ADHD and eating disorders/pathology in adolescents: A systematic review. The Open Epidemiology Journal, 3(4), 193-202.[2]: Maloy, O. (2015, May 10). OSFED: Why You’ve Never Heard Of This Common Eating Disorder
[3]: American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.).
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Last Updated & Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on January 25, 2016
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com
The EatingDisorderHope.com editorial team comprises experienced writers, editors, and medical reviewers specializing in eating disorders, treatment, and mental and behavioral health.
