Researchers have identified two behaviors that may help young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who are not taking medication reduce their risk of obesity and improve their health.
- Young people with untreated ADHD have significantly higher rates of obesity and tend to exceed recommendations for screen time and sleep, according to a new study.
- Researchers recommend that these young people adopt a healthier lifestyle in terms of sleep and screen time to reduce their risk of obesity.
- The team hopes their research can encourage children and families to incorporate healthy behaviors into their daily lives.
According to estimates5.9% of under-18s are thought to suffer from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This syndrome, which begins in childhood, is characterized by high levels of inattention and/or inappropriate hyperactivity and impulsivity.
Researchers at the University of Missouri have found that young people with the disorder who are not taking medication have significantly higher rates of obesity than others. In addition, they tend to exceed screen time recommendations and fail to meet sleep guidelines. The team believes that improving their sleep and limiting screen time is essential for their health.
Obesity, lack of sleep and screens: the risks of ADHD teens without treatment
For this study published in the journal Journal of Pediatric Psychologythe researchers analyzed the results of a survey that included tens of thousands of kids ages 11 to 17. They asked parents in three groups — those without ADHD, those with ADHD on medication, and those with ADHD without treatment — how much sleep, screen time, and exercise their kids got each day.
The result: The rate of overweight or obesity was 7% higher among youth with ADHD who were not receiving treatment than among those taking medication. Moreover, adolescents who received treatment for their syndrome had similar rates of weight problems as those who did not have ADHD.
These data lead the team to conclude that “While getting more sleep and limiting screen time are healthy behaviors for all children, prioritizing these two goals may be particularly helpful for untreated youth with ADHD, given that this group has a higher prevalence of obesity.”.
ADHD: 5 tips to improve sleep and limit screen time
“While some families are not interested in medication, identifying sleep as a key health behavior to improve may help reduce the risk of obesity. As a clinical psychologist, I regularly meet with families and provide evidence-based strategies to create healthy, lasting behavior changes, including goal setting, tracking progress on health behaviors, and parental role modeling.”adds Crystal Lim, head of the study, in a communicated.
She is taking advantage of the media coverage of her work to offer advice so that children’s sleep and screen time routines are not disrupted by the summer holidays. She recommends:
• establish a nighttime routine that provides a regular bedtime;
• cut off Internet access at a certain time;
• avoid having televisions or other screens in bedrooms;
• refrain from having large meals just before bedtime;
• encourage the child to do physical exercise during the day through activities such as swimming, cycling, tennis, ping-pong, rollerblading or even walking;
• create a cool, dark environment to promote sleep;
• use screen time as a reward for completing household chores, educational activities, or physical activities, not a recurring occupation.
