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May 20th, 2013
11:48 AM ET
Boys with ADHD may become obese adultsBoys with ADHD may be at risk for obesity later in life, according to a new study - which, if confirmed in larger studies, may have implications for the more than 4 million kids in the United States living with the disorder. Researchers at NYU's Langone Medical Center have been following more than 200 kids for four decades. They found those who had ADHD in their early years were twice as likely to be obese at age 41. "This study was started by Dr. Rachel Klein in 1970, and it involved a number of waves of evaluation, during which the results of having hyperactivity in childhood were assessed," said Dr. F. Xavier Castellanos, a professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU and one of the study authors. "We brought back individuals who were 41 years of age, and examined a number of measures, including brain imaging analyses. But during those brain imaging analyses, we noted that men who had been hyperactive children had a greater difficulty sitting in the scanner - they were too large for the research scanner." That's when the idea took shape to look at all of the subjects' height and weight. Castellanos and his team instantly noticed the high levels of obesity – twice as high as those adults who never suffered from ADHD. "This was not the first time this has been noted, so in that sense it is a confirmation," said Castellanos. "But other studies have not been able to be as definitive. Other studies have found a general tendency towards increased weight, but this is the first study that puts this in terms of clear clinical obesity." However, there is no clear reason as to why ADHD may lead to obesity. "The most reasonable explanation is that the characteristics of ADHD which involve being impulsive - having a difficult time selecting between (things) that maybe immediately gratifying but in the long run are not such a good idea - that that translates to the choices that are made at lunchtime and dinner and snacking," said Castellanos, though he said there was no direct evidence of that being the case, only speculation. Other experts say while this correlation appears to be strong, more research needs to be done. "The sample size was relatively small, and they only looked at white men," said CNN.com expert Dr. Jennifer Shu, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics. "That said, their conclusion summed it up nicely: people need to be aware that having childhood ADHD may put them at risk for later obesity." Shu also suggested another possible explanation for the link - current treatments are largely centered around stimulant medications, which tend to reduce appetite. If the medication is stopped, appetite increases and patients may start gaining weight. The bottom line, says Castellanos? "It's very difficult across the board for people to lose weight and keep it off, so it's one of those things that is really best prevented," he said. "That's the major importance of alerting the public - we can look into the future and say, 'This is coming up, so it's better to not ignore this potential risk and wait for it to become a problem.'"
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Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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The more kids "diagnosed" as "ADHD", the "fatter" doctor's and Big Pharma's bank accounts grow!
What about adults? Why do you care what Meds people take? ADD is real. Just as real as any other disorder. They have done brain scans and it now accepted in medical community. Is depression real? Is anxiety disorder real? aspersers? Autism? Bi Polar Disorder? All those fake.
I agree with billy my son is skinny and eats ALL the time he is in his mid 20s
Not once in this article do they mention whether these people ARE STILL TAKING their amphetamines. I suspect they aren't. If they are not then this must be listed as another side effect of amphetamines in young people.
ADHD is he biggest and most fraudulent diagnosis in the history of medicine. Nothing proves it better than the fact that Chinese graduate students in the US are almost never diagnosed with this disorder. And yet, they perform at a much higher rate than the middle class white American students, who flock to this diagnosis, in order to get through testing and college. ADHD is a disorder of white, prosperous American kids, supported by a liberalized group of college trained psychologists who think everyone has some kind of mental disorder requiring treatment and medication.
You are exactly right. How is one tested for this? You can't, there is no definitive diagnosis. It is all subjective. ADHD means you are normal. It is an invented disorder to sell new drugs..
Actually, Jonathan, you can test for ADHD.
Individuals who ACTUALLY have ADHD tend to have issues with executive functioning, see – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_functions
In order to diagnose ADHD properly, rather than just have a psychiatrist sling pills, a child must undergo evaluations, preferably by a neuropsychologist, pediatric neurologist, or a Developmental Pediatrician (There is a difference between a pediatrician and a developmental pediatrician).
Evaluations include a standard psychoeducational battery, wherein students with ADHD will typically score much lower than same-aged peers on the Block Design subtest of an IQ test. Screeners like the Vineland Scale can be used to determine what type of ADHD the student has (Yes, there are multiple types of ADHD. Three, in fact. They are ADHD Predominantly Hyperactive, ADHD Predominantly Inattentive, and ADHD Combined Type.)
After the battery of testing is done, the doctor comes to a diagnosis (or rules out a possible diagnosis) and makes suggestions.
I presume you are aware that you don't have to take meds to manage ADHD, right?
Bros: Actually no. There is no defitive test. It is all subject. It is impossible to test....because this disorder does not exist. I know exactly what I'm talking about.
You are obviously one who never had ADHD or know someone who has it. It is a real condition that I have personal experience with. The testing for the condition is very rigorous and takes 5 to 6 hours by a trained specialist. Given the kind of medication required to treat it, they do not dive that diagnosis easily. I was diagnosed in the 1970's when few schools or doctors had any experience with it. I participated in a medical study for testing the medications they were trying for the condition.
I would agree that some kids today may be mistakenly diagnosed, but think about the cause. Children are very energetic and need to burn off that excess. Schools have cut back or eliminated recess time and PE time.
Not surprising that Chinese grad students would not have ADHD. Most afflicted with ADHD could never make it through a four year college let alone grad school.
One of the big reasons that students in other countries do better than our kids is because our kids eat a lot more crap food than in other countries. Look at all of the stuff we use in our homes ... sprays that go off every 30 minutes to make our homes smell good, but are putting chemicals into the air for us to breathe. You don't see that junk in Europe and other countries. It's no wonder that there are so many more illnesses these days than there were 50 years ago – we are chemical-izing ourselves to death.
actually poor children are much more likely to be diagnosed not affluent students. its a subjective diagnosis and a lot of people are misdiagnosed i get that point. you are just perpetuating racial stereotypes on all sides. you are a total tool and an idiot most likely in need of a dummy disorder cure. get in touch with big pharm
Just one of the "myriad" of side effects of amphetamine use. The greatest of travesties innocent children face, prescribed by none other than school counselors and social workers that are supposed to be protecting our children.
Hey Tom you dont know what you are talking about, school counselors and social workers cant prescribe medicine, only doctors can do that.
There is NO SUCH THING as ADHD! People please. My best friend is a prominent psychiatrist. She said ADHD is the biggest fraud going. ADHD means you are a normal human being. ALL humans have very low attentions spans, especially children. It is a made up disorder to sell drugs...PERIOD. CNN should be ashamed to publish this nonsense...it keeps perpetuating this myth.
While it may be true that ADHD is overdiagnosed/misdiagnosed, any competent psychiatrist and similar professionals will attest that there are, in fact, people who demonstrably meet the official DSM criteria for ADHD. Any professional who says otherwise is 1) so inexperienced that they haven't seen very many patients yet or 2) incompetent and should lose their license to practice. I was a classic ADHD child, long before there was any diagnosis or medication or general recognition of the disorder. With the help of my parents and teachers and friends, I gradually learned how to cope with my disorder. I had a succesful career, but I wasn't able to advance very far because my continual experience of multiple thought threads at once prevented me from carrying on a conversation for more than a couple minutes, I couldn't focus long enough to be able to do anything like give a speech. It was only late in my life that I was diagnosed, I investigated my history with family, and the diagnosis was correct with virtually every official respect. When I went on medication close to retirement, it was the first time in my life that I was able to focus on only one thought. I improved to the extent that after retirement I was able to give talks and speeches, I even did an extemporaneous speech at a major political convention. What is a fraud is people like you who don't know what you are talking about, based upon incompetent and unethical misuse of information. You are as credible as someone who says there's no such thing as high blood pressure or cancer.
and just what've you got against our drug companies???
Conqui: Sorry not buying it. What you described is EVERYONE.....and I do know what I'm talking about. I'm not ignorant regarding this subject like many posters here who think this is real. Some people have shorter spans than others but that is what human beings are. This " disorder " does not exist. It is all subjective, there is no definitive diagnosis. That is a fact.
Jonathan L, though your friend has a Doctoral degree, professionals vary in their opinions just like the people who have posted here. Though you could go round and round forever on whether it exists, perhaps the truth is somewhere in the middle; It does exist but is widely overused. If it made it into the DSM, there is credible evidence. I think the diagnosis is seriously overused and that we cripple our children (who are applied this diagnosis wrongly) by telling them that it's not their fault and that they have no control over their actions (thus they behave badly freely). I am unsure if your idea of a "definitive diagnosis" is a blood test, but crack open a DSM.
Actually you are wrong. How can you say you have personal experience if you don't have it? I know personally because I have had it since childhood. It is a real condition that typically is diagnosed through 5-6 hours of testing. In recent years, researchers like Dr. Daniel Amen of the Amen clinic have proven new ways of diagnosing the condition through the use of the SPECT scan that shows brain function and metabolism. Over 40 years of research proves that it exists. It is a genentically derived neuroligical condition related to neurotransmitter and metabolic imbalances in the brain. Medication is only one means of treatment. Couselling and training in coping techniques are other means. Medication alone will not do the job. It takes a well balanced program of training and proper medication.
Your best friend is a liar and an idiot. My family has had this disorder disrupt their lives for generations. It is not made up to sell drugs. The drugs (prescribed and illegal) have been the ONLY thing that has worked and allowed myself and other members of my family to be competent in the modern world. Maybe if we lived traditional lifestyles where the "disorder" has shown to have some benefit (ADD and ADHD hunters tend to better than average) then there would be no need to medicate but the modern world with its emphasis on time management is an alien environment to those of us who have attention deficit disorders and it is only going to get worse. Without meds ADD and ADHD people will on average constantly come up short.
Actually, there IS such a thing. There is also such a thing as a fraudulent diagnosis as well.
The disease is real and it represents a very real chemical imbalance in the brain. I have it and the medicines I've been given over the past 23 years have actually helped me to normalize and compete academically. Without the supplemental chemicals, I would not have tested well in the SATs, GMATs and the myriad of coursework over a twenty year academic career.
Today as a finance professional, I still struggle with the disease but my body has adapted to synthesize the effects of the drugs. I struggle with linear thought and time management. I struggle with prioritization and even the occasionally dense reading material I'm required to analyze. I've even found there are some perks to non-linear thought. Nevertheless, I'm a very real though admittedly rare case.
I agree wholeheartedly that ADD and ADHD are widely over-diagnosed but for your friend the "doctor" to misinform you so badly is in the very least poor-form. The disease is accepted and widely discussed in those DSM books that he's required to reference at his practice. I would look closer if I were you.
Some of you are doubtful but I encourage you to research the effects a dopamine deficiency can have on the brain, which is the dilemma at the root of the disease.
lastly, to the folks who say that the typical ADD/ADHD case couldn't even get through a 4 year college degree, I say to you, "I did it". I learned how to study and overcome my disease and focus at a young age. It was hard but I did it. I will always struggle but I can hang with the pack. I earned a Bachelors Degree an MBA and an MS Finance despite the affliction.
Since it is a fact that many prescription medications cause weight gain, and there are so many kids that are placed on psychotropic drugs for ADD and ADHD, doesn’t it seem logical that this contributes to the causation of higher body weights in adulthood?
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS THAT CAUSE WEIGHT GAIN (Source: http://www.womenshealth.gov/news/headlines/662122.cfm)
Antidepressants: Paxil (paroxetine); Zoloft (sertraline); Elavil (amitriptyline); Remeron (mirtazapine)
Mood Disorder: Clozaril (clozapine); Zyprexa (olanzapine); Risperdal (risperidone); Seroquel (quetiapine); Lithium; Depakote (valproic acid); Tegretol (carbamazepine); Antipsychotics; Steroids
Blood Pressure: Lopressor (metoprolol); Tenormin (atenolol); Inderal (propranolol); Norvasc (amlodipine); Catapres (clonidine)
Arthritis, Asthma & Cancer: Corticosteriods; Prednisone; Methylprednisolone
Diabetes: Actos (pioglitazone); Amaryl (glimepiride); Insulin
Seizures: Nerontin (gabapentin); Carbamazepine
If HEALTH is the real concern, I recommend that you investigate Health At Every Size®.
For more information on Health At Every Size, you can find a general explanation on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_at_Every_Size) or find in-depth research-based information in the book Health At Every Size – The Surprising Truth About Your Weight by Dr. Linda Bacon (http://www.lindabacon.org/HAESbook/).
Your are 100% wrong about the "facts" of prescription drugs and weight gain. If a person actually reads the actual research, rather than hyped-up and dumbed down and sometimes outright fabricated articles like the one you quote, you will discover that while some medications are associated with weight gain in some people, this statistical association very rarely rises to the level necessary to call any medication a "cause". I know of no research on any drug that shows the overwhelming majority of patients taking the drug have a significant weight gain over an extended period of time, with the possible exception of some steroids and there's uncertainty about that.
So. My mother, for example. She's maintaining her weight, even losing a few pounds even, here and there. Doctor puts her on some new pills. She gains 80 pounds. Does nothing differently except taking the new medication. You're right, Conqui! There's nothing to link it at all. It's made up. Also, tobacco doesn't cause any ill effects. Government backed that for a long time, too. Let's believe what we're told by agencies, not what we actually see and experience first hand.
Propranolol will not cause weight gain when used at recommended doses for anxiety and such. If you have bad enough hypertension or arrythmia to need propranolol, the weight gain may be an acceptable trade-off. However, people who self-medicate and overuse propranolol (e.g., for every social situation while exceeding the recommended doses), they will have a problem the moment they stop taking it. I get this line about propranolol. No! Do not blame the drug when fools think it is okay to take 2, 3 even 10 times the recommended dose twice as often as the label says.
There is no excuse for obesity. Yes, certain foods will lead to weight gain and damage to the body, but by the time an individual becomes obese, they are the worst ingredient.
Sure, let's go with that theory. Let's say that someone gets in a car accident. They have extensive injuries with long-term impairment of mobility. The doctor puts them on some medications, some of which cause weight gain. The person takes the medication. The side effect happens to apply in their case. They live a sedentary lifestyle due to being crippled. They wind up gaining 120 pounds and need a wheelchair to get around. No excuse. At all. Right? Unless that theory is wrong, of course. No excuse. Zero tolerance.
By the way, you do realize that a great deal of the brain is composed of fat, right? Must be prouder by the day, whenever you get that number to shrink.
I am so thankful for Mike, and anyone else like him, today.
Boys who eat food may become obese adults! Danger! Danger! Falling sky!
I know the hyper active boys at my church won't sit still for lessons. They are all skinny though. I doubt this is even backed up by science.
Actually I was diagnosed with Adult ADHD only after I went to a doctor when I was 38 years because of anxiety and depression. I was a disorganized mess. I took a adhd questioner and a computer test that tested impulse control. My meds helped me so much. The Adderall calmed me down and I could actually sleep. I spent most of my life living in a fog. It is also genetic my father is also adhd has a hard time controlling impulses such as overeating, we are both inattentive type with severe social anxiety. The Adderall not only improved my focus and lifted the fog I was living in, but I also stopped overeating, and that boredom snacking that I would do. ADHD is real it destroys families, people who are adhd type tend to be more likely to get divorced, be over weight, have higher blood pressure, short tempers when they are trying to focus and distracted, have other disorders like hypersensitive, anxiety, depression, higher suicide rate, learning disabilities, speech impediments such as stuttering, poor spellers. The meds are not cure all but being adhd puts me at a disadvantage. As far a mental health my doctor told you explain what depression feels like or adhd feels like to someone that does not have it. It would like trying to explain what a burn feels like to someone who has never been burned. They wont understand it. So lets please stop calling adhd fake or an excuse. People that get bent out of shape over reading a research article I just don't get. They are my Meds I don't abuse them, I take them because I need them. I don't judge anyone taking blood pressure meds or aspirins when they have a headache. I'm also trying to exercise and eat better. If you have mental health disorder go get help. Way to many suicides, murderers, people in prison because people cant control their impulses. Maybe Asians have a better diet and better dna than Americans I don't know. I trust my doctor and we did not go straight to the adhd conclusion, we treated everything else first.
Oh yeah, News flash for those who are not up to speed on ADHD, three types. Hyperactive, Inattentive, and Combined type. You don't have to be HYPER to have ADHD or ADD. Download the book lifting the fog. Great info.
Yes ADHD is over diagnosed and misdiagnosed but it is a real disorder/learning disability. The comments in article about impulsive and instant gratification are exactly what are causing this issue. Plus there is no mention about girls. I am tired of ADHD always being about boys. I have a sever ADHD daughter and it is tuff because every study is about boys. More information could have definitely been in this article. Plus after reading this article you are going to have a bunch of people/boys dumping their medicine so they don’t get fat which will cause much bigger issues. If you are going to write an article like this there should definitely be more facts.
One of the diagnostic criteria for ADHD is impulsivity– a difficulty repressing impulses. There should be no surprise that this particular trait is associated with obesity in a culture where high calorie foods are ubiquitous. There are advantages and disadvantages to every human characteristic; being impulsive is very much associated with heroes who jump in and do the right and necessary thing in the face of extreme danger, but it is also associated with problems related to failure to control dangerous or harmful impulses.
ADHD is caused by the consumption of Wheat/Gluten food products in our diet. The Wheat/Gluten has been modified by Monsanto and is different than when we were kids. When you are young, active and still growing, your body is able to fend off obesity but once you reach adulthood and get a job sitting at a desk all day, the weight starts to pile on. Problem solved.
Wrong! Adhd is hereditary. Passed down just everything else. Its not new, first diagnosed in the 1840s
Not that is FUNNY – give this person a prize.
I hate Monsanto and their GMO garbage!! Dont believe anything Kashi tells you about their GMO filled products either, even though they try to tell us otherwise!!
Proper nutrition has been proven to be as effective at treating ADHD as medication and therapy combined!
I'm on my phone, but you can search for the study on Pubmed.com.
Wrong! The combination of all those things gives you the best result. Stay off meds if you can. Strong family support goes along way.
I disagree
I wish the moron writing this article would not assume all readers know what the hell ADHD is. Acronymes should be illegal unless explained once at the start of the article
http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/10117.html
Given they're probably raised on a diet full of food additives, it wouldn't surprise me if they carry that diet on into adulthood and hence put on weight.
I'm so tired of people confusing plain old hyperactivity with ADHD. Yes, many food allergies cause hyperactivity. True ADHD is not affected at all by change in diet or discipline. It is a neuro disorder that only medication and behavioral therapy can help control. It is life-long ailment. Non-believers have never lived with anyone with this disorder that affects nearly every aspect of their life.
Oh its real alright ! I have several friends who's lives have been completely destroyed by loved ones who are ADHD. it takes some time to get on the right type of medication to correct the chemical imbalance in the brain, but the ones that have found the right med's have went on to live completely happy and normal lives.. the others who never got help are still living in a horrible spiral downward. there are a lot of completely natural things an ADHD person can do to help themselves like change of diet, lose weight ect, but one of the things not mentioned in this article as a cause to obesity may be as simple as being hyper , and nervous , stress = increases cortisol and thus body fat, also making it harder and harder to lose the weight.
While I love reading the comments by those without ADD, so let ME give you the 'SKINNY' –
I was diagnosed with ADD in my late 30s – and was always skinny and ate a ton. Now in my 40s, like most others, I have a slower metabolism and have to watch my weight – and of course if I stop taking my medications – I can gain weight, too. When on the medication and focusing correctly – I also do not sit around, watch TV, and eat, so I get plenty of exercise. This article is not accurate...
I think it is interesting and ironic that this article didn't address a key factor, what we reinforce in children who have ADHD. What do we force kids to do in school for 6-7 hours a day, sit still, don't move, just listen. Hmmm I wonder what the long term effects would be of training active boys to be less active and sit still for long periods of time. And then you give them medication so they can sit still longer. If your goal is to train yourself to be still your whole life you will develope the problems that go along with a sedentary lifrstyle.
I do believe ADHD is real as I worked for a tutoring company and had a child who had such bad ADHD that he literally couldn't finish reading a sentence without drifting off. I would ask him to read the problem and he would only make it half way through and not because he had difficulty reading the actual words.
Our attention is on a spectrum, to the far left is ADHD where people have difficulty focusing and on the far right you have OCD where people can't take their focus off something until some specific requirements are met. ADHD is not "I can't focus when I'm bored" it is when even if you are attempting to focus on something you care about and you still can't do it.
If you want to blame someone for the over prescribing of psychotropic medication blame the insurance companies. They want the model for mental disorders and treatment to be identical to the medical model. These are you symptoms which means it is this disease and this is the treatement that takes this long. Psychopathologies are not always uniform and don't always have a prescribable treatment or length of time to cure. It's case by case. But the insurance company wants to know how much it can expect to have to pay for treatments so it forces psychologists and psychiatrists into a corner saying they won't pay if we don't give them this exact information.
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shut up everyone it is most definitely real. I HAVE IT!!!!! The reason i might agree with this is from own experience.
I had been very skeptical of ADHD being a thing for well over a decade. I thought it was a ridiculous excuse for untolerable, distracted behavior. Karma apparently has a sense of humor, and as my son begin having problems in school, I sought advice from my physician. My physician explained to me the biological nature of ADHD. I expressed my reservations, and he gave me material to make my own decision. Long story short – he has ADHD, and is on medication. Whereas he made no progress and fell behind the first half of the school year, once he was on the medication, he nearly caught up with his classmates by the end of the year. As for this obesity issue, I don't know – how large is the sample group. I suppose they corrected for this, but America on a whole is getting more obese. Is this a cause of correlation and not causation?
Being extremely obese means you are especially likely to have health problems related to your weight. The good news is that even modest weight loss can improve or prevent the health problems associated with obesity. You can usually lose weight through dietary changes, increased physical activity and behavior changes. In some cases, prescription medications or weight-loss surgery may be options. *,::
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