nobimbo
Wed, May-25-05, 20:58
Wed. May. 25 2005 2:28 PM ET
Deneen Fanelli
Dr. Lance Levy
Cdn. study links obesity and attention disorder
A new Canadian study may offer hope to some for whom dieting and exercise have proven ineffective in the battle against obesity.
In a study published in the journal Eating Weight Disorders, Vol. 10, N.1, researchers have outlined a possible link between severe obesity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -- a mental condition that effects hundreds of thousands of Canadians.
Researchers found that more than a quarter (26.7 per cent) of the severely obese women that took part in the study had ADHD. That number is more than four times the rate found in the general population.
"They all had problems with impulsivity and attention and distraction... looking like, for all intents and purposes, like patients with ADD," researcher Dr. Lance Levy tells CTV medical specialist Avis Favaro.
For the study, the final sample consisted of 75 women with an average age of 40 and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 43.1. A person with a BMI of 30.0 and above is considered obese.
ADHD (commonly referred to as ADD) is usually diagnosed in children in their pre-school or early school years. But the condition often follows them into adulthood.
Doctors estimate that 85 per cent of ADHD cases among adults are undiagnosed. Symptoms for adults may be different than for children, with usually less hyperactivity, but the disorder could make it more difficult for adult sufferers to plan and prepare proper meals and maintain an exercise regimen.
Toronto psychologist John Fleming adds: "There's a tendency to not pay attention to feelings of fullness and that ability to be able to say 'stop'."
Dineen Fanelli, a 41-year-old patient, tells CTV that she knew her eating habits were out of control when her weight ballooned to 230 pounds.
"Instead of having a regular lunch, I would prefer to have a slice of cake, and I would be thinking about sweets all the time," she says.
Her doctor discovered she had undiagnosed ADHD and pointed to it as a possible reason behind her poor eating habits and why she couldn't stick to diets.
Fanelli's sister and nephew had also been diagnosed with the disorder, which, in her, led to procrastination and memory problems.
"When you have ADHD, it's hard to stay focused. You'd have great ideas but can't execute them."
Researchers are conducting follow-up studies to determine if the link they've uncovered could offer the possibility that by treating ADHD, they could help obese patients in their battle to lose weight.
So far, reports Favaro, the researchers have found that when these patients are treated for attention disorders with drugs like Ritalin, coupled with counselling, about 40 per cent end up losing weight.
Fanelli is being treated with the drug Concerta, and says it has changed her life. She managed to drop 60 pounds so far and says she feels smarter and more confident, "like a light bulb went on."
But Fleming warns against regarding his team's finding as a "magic bullet" that will help the obese begin to lose weight immediately.
"What it does is give patients a level playing feel to work from," he says.
For Fanelli, treating the disorder she's suffered unknowingly from since childhood has proven to be just the answer to her weight problems.
"Now I know how to eat normally. I know how much to eat. I know how to say no."
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1116873115042_121/?hub=Health
Deneen Fanelli
Dr. Lance Levy
Cdn. study links obesity and attention disorder
A new Canadian study may offer hope to some for whom dieting and exercise have proven ineffective in the battle against obesity.
In a study published in the journal Eating Weight Disorders, Vol. 10, N.1, researchers have outlined a possible link between severe obesity and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) -- a mental condition that effects hundreds of thousands of Canadians.
Researchers found that more than a quarter (26.7 per cent) of the severely obese women that took part in the study had ADHD. That number is more than four times the rate found in the general population.
"They all had problems with impulsivity and attention and distraction... looking like, for all intents and purposes, like patients with ADD," researcher Dr. Lance Levy tells CTV medical specialist Avis Favaro.
For the study, the final sample consisted of 75 women with an average age of 40 and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 43.1. A person with a BMI of 30.0 and above is considered obese.
ADHD (commonly referred to as ADD) is usually diagnosed in children in their pre-school or early school years. But the condition often follows them into adulthood.
Doctors estimate that 85 per cent of ADHD cases among adults are undiagnosed. Symptoms for adults may be different than for children, with usually less hyperactivity, but the disorder could make it more difficult for adult sufferers to plan and prepare proper meals and maintain an exercise regimen.
Toronto psychologist John Fleming adds: "There's a tendency to not pay attention to feelings of fullness and that ability to be able to say 'stop'."
Dineen Fanelli, a 41-year-old patient, tells CTV that she knew her eating habits were out of control when her weight ballooned to 230 pounds.
"Instead of having a regular lunch, I would prefer to have a slice of cake, and I would be thinking about sweets all the time," she says.
Her doctor discovered she had undiagnosed ADHD and pointed to it as a possible reason behind her poor eating habits and why she couldn't stick to diets.
Fanelli's sister and nephew had also been diagnosed with the disorder, which, in her, led to procrastination and memory problems.
"When you have ADHD, it's hard to stay focused. You'd have great ideas but can't execute them."
Researchers are conducting follow-up studies to determine if the link they've uncovered could offer the possibility that by treating ADHD, they could help obese patients in their battle to lose weight.
So far, reports Favaro, the researchers have found that when these patients are treated for attention disorders with drugs like Ritalin, coupled with counselling, about 40 per cent end up losing weight.
Fanelli is being treated with the drug Concerta, and says it has changed her life. She managed to drop 60 pounds so far and says she feels smarter and more confident, "like a light bulb went on."
But Fleming warns against regarding his team's finding as a "magic bullet" that will help the obese begin to lose weight immediately.
"What it does is give patients a level playing feel to work from," he says.
For Fanelli, treating the disorder she's suffered unknowingly from since childhood has proven to be just the answer to her weight problems.
"Now I know how to eat normally. I know how much to eat. I know how to say no."
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1116873115042_121/?hub=Health