Could stimulants used to treat ADHD be affecting kids' weight? A new study reveals that pills used to counteract Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder may be contributing to the tide of obesity among children.
The researchers examined 160,000 children with ADHD. They found that kids who received stimulants to treat their ADHD were more likely to become obese as they hit their teens. In contrast, children with ADHD who took non-stimulant medications or received no therapy were comparable to children who didn't have the disorder, according to Today Health.
"We certainly need to be more cautious about use of these medications in children," said Brian Schwartz, one of the researchers, in an interview with Time. "Obesity has lifelong risks. If this is a consequence of stimulant use, and since there is evidence that we might be overprescribing stimulants, we might be contributing to the childhood- and adult-obesity epidemics."
The researchers found that younger kids with ADHD who received no medication or non-stimulant treatment had higher BMIs early on compared to kids without the disorder. Yet their weight gain leveled off as they grew older. In contrast, kids with ADHD who received stimulants were thinner early on, but then their weight rebounded as they hit their teens, according to Today Health. This trend actually became more pronounced the longer children took stimulants and the younger they were when they started the stimulants.
This finding is particularly concerning. Parents and pediatricians are turning to medications more quickly to treat young patients, according to Time. This means that if medications encourage obesity, behavioral therapy may be a better option rather than using stimulant treatments.
Currently, research is ongoing as to why stimulants would cause this particular effect in children. While it's clear that stimulants taken early can increase the risk of obesity, why that's the case is still unknown.
