It shapes long-term health.
A recent study highlights how attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can impact children’s weight over time, potentially affecting their long-term health. Researchers in the U.K. found that children with ADHD often have a lower birth weight, a factor that can elevate their risk of developmental issues and other health complications.
As these children age, however, the trend reverses. By around age five, children with ADHD are more prone to obesity, a condition that may increase their health risks well into adulthood. “Children with increased ADHD symptoms tend to weigh less at birth compared to their peers but later are more likely to face obesity,” noted researcher Claire Reed of the University of Southampton. She emphasized that little research has addressed the timing and causes of this shift in weight.
The study examined data from over 7,900 children born between 2000 and 2002, comparing 442 children with ADHD symptoms to nearly 5,400 children without the disorder. Initially, those with ADHD weighed less at birth, but by nine months to three years of age, weight differences between the groups evened out. From age five onwards, however, children with ADHD became significantly more likely to experience obesity, excluding those taking stimulant medications.
This trend was particularly noticeable after age seven in girls and age eleven in boys, with children showing more ADHD symptoms also tending to have a higher body mass index (BMI) by ages 11 and 14. The study suggests that the link between ADHD symptoms and weight gain may emerge between ages three and five, though the exact reasons remain uncertain.
One hypothesis for this weight shift relates to impulsivity associated with ADHD, which may lead children to make less healthy food choices. As the researchers noted, “those with higher levels of impulsivity may be less inclined to choose healthier options.”
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