The study showed that women who had ADHD in their childhood had double the risk to become obese in their adult years regardless of whether they used treatment for the condition or not.
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A new research brings light to this global concern, as it proves that there is an association between obesity development during adulthood and childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
This association between ADHD and obesity was not found among men, Kumar said.
“There are a couple of biological mechanisms that underlie both obesity and ADHD”, said Dr. Seema Kumar, a pediatrician and researcher at Mayo Clinic Children’s Research Center in Rochester, Minn., reports Philly.
Kumar said the study suggests girls be counseled as children, when diagnosed with ADHD, to do things to prevent becoming obese, such as maintaining a healthier diet and an active lifestyle.
The researchers studied 5,700 children from their childhood to young adulthood; these all children were born between 1976 and 1982 and were living in the same region.
Measurements for the participants’ height, weight and stimulant treatment were taken from medical records that contained care details from January 1976 to August 2010.
The study was published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings. While the Mayo research shows an association between ADHD and obesity, it doesn’t mean it’s bound to happen, he said. “Interventions to reduce parental criticism could lead to a reduction in ADHD symptoms, but other efforts to improve the severe symptoms of children with ADHD could also lead to a reduction in parental criticism, creating greater well-being in the family over time”.
ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed mental disorder for people of young age.
The researchers used a statistical technique, Cox model, to determine the relationship between childhood ADHD and obesity. The sleep deprivation also occurs in children with ADHD that may contribute to weight gain.
Various studies have proposed a connection between childhood ADHD and obesity. “Girls with ADHD may not be able to control their eating and may end up overeating”, she explained.
In their analyses, the investigators adjusted for factors including birth weight and maternal age at birth, but limitations of the study include that they did not adjust for socioeconomic status or comorbidities such as anxiety, depression, and eating disorders that are common both to patients with ADHD and obesity, the researchers said. She says the disorder tends to make boys hyperactive, causing them to burn off calories.
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The research suggests that parents and physicians have to be proactive in monitoring eating habits of ADHD children and they should engage them in exercise or physical activity. Being aware of the link between association and ADHD can help parents monitor their children and opt for healthy lifestyle choices to avoid health complications.
