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Many people think of diabetes as only a blood sugar condition. In reality, your brain, stress levels, sleep, emotions and body signals all play a major role. This is particularly true if you live with ADHD and diabetes, or you are managing weight and cravings.
Research from around the world shows a clear pattern. People with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to gain weight and more likely to develop type 2 diabetes. People with type 1 diabetes are also more likely to have ADHD, and when the two occur together, daily management is usually more demanding.
ADHD can make it harder to:
Over time, this can lead to gradual weight gain. It is not about laziness or lack of willpower. It is the natural result of living with a different pattern of attention and self-regulation.
Adults with ADHD have been shown to have a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. ADHD affects the way you eat, sleep, move and cope with stress. All of these factors influence blood sugar, weight and insulin resistance.
Managing type 1 diabetes requires constant planning and attention. If you also have ADHD, you may find that you:
None of this means you are failing. It means the system was not designed with ADHD brains in mind.
Interoception is the term for how you notice internal signals from your body. This includes hunger, fullness, thirst, tiredness, stress, heartbeat and the need to use the toilet.
Many people with ADHD have weaker or delayed interoception. Body signals come through more quietly, or all at once, rather than gradually.
When your internal radar is quiet, food choices are more likely to be driven by what is in front of you, by the clock, or by how you feel emotionally, rather than by what your body actually needs.
ADHD often comes with a more sensitive stress system. That can mean bigger emotional reactions, difficulty winding down and a body that stays on alert for longer.
When you are stressed, your body releases hormones that raise blood sugar to prepare you for action. This can:
For someone with diabetes, stress can have as much impact as food. It is common to see higher glucose readings on stressful days, even when eating looks similar.
When your body is under pressure, it produces inflammatory chemicals. One important example is a molecule called IL-6. Higher IL-6 levels have been found in:
Inflammation of this kind can make insulin work less effectively, increase appetite and increase fatigue. It can also make glucose control more difficult. This is one reason why periods of stress, illness or burnout can have such a clear impact on blood sugar.
Sugar and ultra-processed foods give a quick lift in energy and in a brain chemical called dopamine. For ADHD brains, which often crave stimulation and reward, that effect can feel especially strong.
When you are tired, stressed, under-fuelled or overwhelmed, you may find yourself reaching for:
These foods and drinks are not morally bad, but they do cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and increase the long-term risk of type 2 diabetes. Sugary drinks are particularly important, because they increase diabetes risk even if your weight does not change.
If you live with ADHD and diabetes, you might recognise some of these experiences:
These patterns are understandable when you consider ADHD, stress, inflammation and quieter body signals together. Your difficulties are explainable and shared by many others. With the right support, things can improve.
The highest-impact change for most people is to reduce sugary drinks. Try to replace them with:
Before you eat, pause for a moment and ask:
Halfway through the meal, ask:
Aim to start eating when hunger is around 3 to 4, and to stop when fullness reaches 6 to 7. This helps to make your internal signals louder over time.
For ADHD, the environment is much more important than motivation. Helpful ideas include:
Simple, realistic practices can help:
Sleep is the foundation for all behaviour change. When sleep improves, appetite, mood, focus, glucose and motivation all tend to improve as well.
Many people with ADHD, diabetes or weight concerns feel frustrated and blame themselves. The science shows that your experiences are not simply about trying harder. They are about how your brain, body signals, stress system and metabolism interact.
At Sanctum we are working with diabetes specialists and primary care partners to better understand ADHD and diabetes together, and to design support that respects how your brain and body actually work.
You deserve care that makes sense for you.
