Kids with ADHD likelier to become obese and physically inactive

A new study suggests that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to become obese and sedentary teenagers.

Previous studies have suggested a link between ADHD and obesity, but whether one leads to the other is unclear. One way to better understand the link is to follow children through to adolescence.

The new study from Imperial College London, which followed almost 7000 children in Finland, found that those who had ADHD symptoms at age eight had significantly higher odds of being obese at age 16. Children who had ADHD symptoms were also less physically active as teenagers.

ADHD affects two to five per cent of school-aged children and young people in the UK and is related to poor school performance. The main symptoms are inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsivity. ADHD is complex to diagnose, but screening questionnaires can give an indication of a probable diagnosis, based on a child's behaviour.

Conduct disorder, a condition related to ADHD and linked to tendencies towards delinquency, rulebreaking and violence, was also found to increase risk of obesity and physical inactivity among teens.

The nine percent of children in the study who had positive results on an ADHD screener at age 8 were at higher risk of obesity at age 16.

"Obesity is a growing problem that we need to watch out for in all children and young people, but these findings suggest that it's particularly important for children with ADHD," Senior author, visiting Professor Alina Rodriguez, from the School of Public Health at Imperial College London, said.

The findings are published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.