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Obesity In Adulthood Twice As Likely For Girls With ADHD, Study Finds

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Researchers examining the association between obesity and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)–a chronic condition which begins in childhood and often persists into adulthood–have found that girls diagnosed with the condition are twice as likely as those without it to become obese by the time they reach young adulthood.

The study, which was published in the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, followed over 5,700 children in one particular school district in Minnesota. The children, all of whom were born between 1976 and 1982, were followed into their mid-20s.

Of those participating in the study, 379 developed ADHD and 387 were identified as obese while they were being monitored.

Through their analysis, which was conducted as a longitudinal population-based study, the researchers found that while girls with ADHD were much more apt to develop obesity by young adulthood, no significant correlation could be established when it came to boys.

In an attempt to explain the differences between males and females, the researchers proposed that it might be in part related to “unique differences in ADHD subtypes, such as the higher prevalence of the inattentive subtype of ADHD in females versus the hyperactive impulsive subtype, which is more prevalent in males, as well as differences in associated comorbidities between male and female patients.”

Our finding of sex-specific differences in the association between ADHD and obesity may be partly related to unique differences in ADHD subtypes, such as the higher prevalence of the inattentive subtype of ADHD in females vs the hyperactive/impulsive subtype, which is more prevalent in males, as well as differences in associated comorbidities between male and female patients.

As for a potential link between stimulant medication used to treat the condition and the development of obesity, the researchers wrote in conclusion that such treatments administered during childhood do “not appear to be associated with obesity up to young adulthood.”

The study’s authors suggest preventive measures be incorporated into the normal care routines of patients afflicted with ADHD and that such measures should focus on healthy eating practices and active lifestyles.

Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Rochester Epidemiology Project.

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