An international study conducted over 30 years has established a link between being diagnosed with ADHD during childhood and having a higher body mass index or becoming obese later in life. The study followed 207 boys aged 8-12 who had been diagnosed with ADHD and compared results against a control group of 178 boys. Study participants were tested at ages 18, 25 and 41. The results were that the group with ADHD had a body mass index of 30.1 compared to 27.6 for the control group. The link is believed to be caused by a lack of impulse control or poor planning skills among those with ADHD.
Key takeaways
- A study was conducted to find out if having ADHD as a child can increase the risk of having obesity during adulthood.
- It was found out those men with childhood ADHD had significantly higher body mass index compared to those without the condition.
- Obesity rates were also higher in men with childhood ADHD compared to those without the condition.
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