New Research: Childhood Obesity Linked to ADHD, Impulsivity

November 21, 2024Children with ADHD are more likely to be obese, despite lower-than-average birth weights, according to a new study that found a correlation between elevated ADHD symptoms and higher body mass index (BMI) scores for both females and males.

1The study, published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, complements additional research tying ADHD impulsivity to unhealthy food consumption and overeating.In analyzing data from the Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) of more than 19,000 families with children born between 2000 and 2002, researchers found that children with ADHD had significantly lower birth weights than did children in the control group.

Both groups maintained similar obesity rates until age 5, when the ADHD group experienced a rise in obesity that continued throughout adolescence.“As children with ADHD are typically lighter in weight at birth than children without ADHD, the results suggest there may be a sensitive time period between the ages of 3 and 5 years during which this association reverses, and higher ADHD symptoms become associated with obesity,” the researchers wrote.Researchers collected data when the 442 ADHD cohort members reached 9 months and 3, 5, 7, 11, 14, and 17 years. (The study excluded cohort members taking ADHD medications.) They found that weight gain began earlier for girls with ADHD (age 7) compared to boys with ADHD (age 11). “The weight changes in girls additionally seemed to be more long-lasting, whereas the observed changes in boys seemed to be transitory,” the researchers wrote.

It is unclear whether these associations continue into adulthood.Further analysis revealed that elevated ADHD symptoms in females at ages 7, 11, and 14 predicted.