Gastric Bypass Surgery Support Group
Gastric bypass (GBP) is any of a group of similar operative procedures used to treat morbid obesity, a condition which arises from severe accumulation of excess weight in the form of fatty tissue, and the health problems ("co-morbidities") which result. If you are considering gastric bypass or have had it, join the community where we share our experiences and find support.
ADHD Prevalence Among Obese Adults:
Estimates of the prevalence of ADHD in the general US adult population are mostly between 3% and 5% - and the vast majority (est. 75%) of those cases are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. But several studies now show that the rate of ADHD among obese adults in the US is clearly MUCH higher than in the general adult population. One study referenced in the articles below found a rate 6 times higher. What do you think the prevalence of ADHD is in adults who actually have weight loss surgery? How is that rate affected by the subset of those people who participate here in this online support group? Higher? Lower? I don't know.
But here is something I think is a bit strange. Below is a link to every single discussion that has ever occured in this support group that has ever mentioned the word 'ADHD', sorted by date, descending:
http://tinyurl.com/ds-gbs-adhd-refs
As of this specific post, there are exactly 82 'hits' returned by this search for THE ENTIRE HISTORY of this support group. And guess what? I am the author or the 'instigator' of 78 of those 82 hits (i.e. ~95%). Does that seem odd to you? It certainly does to me. But then again, I'm the guy with the odd avatar.
Consider a couple of other things though - first, from a 2008 post at HealthCentral:
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A new study, recently published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders, explored why some adults have difficulty staying on weight loss programs. The researchers at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health and the University of Toronto (Canada) administered ADHD tests to 75 women who had been referred to an obesity clinic. The average age of the women was 40 and the average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 43, which is considered to be in the severely obese range.
....
What prompted the study was an observation that a significant number of obese clients had tremendous difficulty keeping accurate records of their diet planning- planning and preparing their meals- as well as eating and exercising regularly. These observations prompted the team to research the reasons behind this, thus the discovery of the ADHD/obesity connection.
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/57718/31721/adhd-obesity-link
------------------------------------
Next from a report published in the March 2009 edition of Obesity journal (VOLUME 17 NUMBER 3 | MARCH 2009)
"Association Between Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Obesity in the US Population"
Source (PDF format - 6 pages): http://tinyurl.com/obesity-adhd
(original link is at:)
abbmcertification.org/inc/assets/articles/Pagoto%20Adult%20ADHD%20&%20Obesity%20Obesity%202009.pdf
----- quotes --------------
The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 33.9 and 29.4%, respectively, among adults with ADHD, and 28.8 and 21.6%, respectively, among persons with no history of ADHD.
...
Two studies explored the relationship between ADHD and obesity in adults. One study of obese patients seeking weight loss treatment revealed 27.4% met diagnostic criteria for ADHD, a rate six times greater than what has been reported in the general population (9). Patients with ADHD also had significantly higher BMIs and lost significantly less weight during weight loss treatment than those without ADHD. Similar findings were reported in a study of 75 severely obese women referred for weight loss treatment. About 27% reported symptoms of ADHD in both childhood and adulthood (10). Findings from these clinic-based studies suggest an association between adult ADHD and obesity.
...
This is the first population-based study to examine the association between ADHD and obesity in adults. Results revealed that having adult ADHD increased the odds of being overweight and obese. Among individuals with adult ADHD, 33.9% were overweight and 29.4% were obese, compared to 28.8 and 21.6% respectively, of individuals with no history of ADHD.
...
Results suggest that ADHD is linked to both obesity and BED in the US adult population. The presence of ADHD in overweight and obese patients has clinical implications, including difficulty with behavioral weight management skills such as self-monitoring, meal planning, and adhering to nutrition and physical activity goals.
----- quotes --------------
Estimates of the prevalence of ADHD in the general US adult population are mostly between 3% and 5% - and the vast majority (est. 75%) of those cases are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. But several studies now show that the rate of ADHD among obese adults in the US is clearly MUCH higher than in the general adult population. One study referenced in the articles below found a rate 6 times higher. What do you think the prevalence of ADHD is in adults who actually have weight loss surgery? How is that rate affected by the subset of those people who participate here in this online support group? Higher? Lower? I don't know.
But here is something I think is a bit strange. Below is a link to every single discussion that has ever occured in this support group that has ever mentioned the word 'ADHD', sorted by date, descending:
http://tinyurl.com/ds-gbs-adhd-refs
As of this specific post, there are exactly 82 'hits' returned by this search for THE ENTIRE HISTORY of this support group. And guess what? I am the author or the 'instigator' of 78 of those 82 hits (i.e. ~95%). Does that seem odd to you? It certainly does to me. But then again, I'm the guy with the odd avatar.
Consider a couple of other things though - first, from a 2008 post at HealthCentral:
----------------------
A new study, recently published in the journal Eating and Weight Disorders, explored why some adults have difficulty staying on weight loss programs. The researchers at the Centre of Addiction and Mental Health and the University of Toronto (Canada) administered ADHD tests to 75 women who had been referred to an obesity clinic. The average age of the women was 40 and the average Body Mass Index (BMI) was 43, which is considered to be in the severely obese range.
....
What prompted the study was an observation that a significant number of obese clients had tremendous difficulty keeping accurate records of their diet planning- planning and preparing their meals- as well as eating and exercising regularly. These observations prompted the team to research the reasons behind this, thus the discovery of the ADHD/obesity connection.
Source: http://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/c/57718/31721/adhd-obesity-link
------------------------------------
Next from a report published in the March 2009 edition of Obesity journal (VOLUME 17 NUMBER 3 | MARCH 2009)
"Association Between Adult Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Obesity in the US Population"
Source (PDF format - 6 pages): http://tinyurl.com/obesity-adhd
(original link is at:)
abbmcertification.org/inc/assets/articles/Pagoto%20Adult%20ADHD%20&%20Obesity%20Obesity%202009.pdf
----- quotes --------------
The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 33.9 and 29.4%, respectively, among adults with ADHD, and 28.8 and 21.6%, respectively, among persons with no history of ADHD.
...
Two studies explored the relationship between ADHD and obesity in adults. One study of obese patients seeking weight loss treatment revealed 27.4% met diagnostic criteria for ADHD, a rate six times greater than what has been reported in the general population (9). Patients with ADHD also had significantly higher BMIs and lost significantly less weight during weight loss treatment than those without ADHD. Similar findings were reported in a study of 75 severely obese women referred for weight loss treatment. About 27% reported symptoms of ADHD in both childhood and adulthood (10). Findings from these clinic-based studies suggest an association between adult ADHD and obesity.
...
This is the first population-based study to examine the association between ADHD and obesity in adults. Results revealed that having adult ADHD increased the odds of being overweight and obese. Among individuals with adult ADHD, 33.9% were overweight and 29.4% were obese, compared to 28.8 and 21.6% respectively, of individuals with no history of ADHD.
...
Results suggest that ADHD is linked to both obesity and BED in the US adult population. The presence of ADHD in overweight and obese patients has clinical implications, including difficulty with behavioral weight management skills such as self-monitoring, meal planning, and adhering to nutrition and physical activity goals.
----- quotes --------------
I've had attention problems and weight problems since I came out of the womb.
1,008 'hits':
http://tinyurl.com/ds-gbs-hairloss-refs
I'm not suggesting that we talk about hair loss too much. But given ADHD's implications for long term success of weight loss surgery - I think perhaps we do not discuss ADHD nearly enough.
I think a few lucky people can simply 'follow the program' - but I think the majority of us have heer to deal with these deeper issues at some point along the road.
But Devrom? Yeah. That was pretty cool too.
The more I learned about ADHD, the more I felt it fit not only my son but gave me some answers personally, as well. I had been on Fen- Phen for over a year and felt like I was accomplishing more than usual during that tine without all my usual bunny trails. I have been blessed with intelligence and the ability to hyperfocus, so I have been successful in school and generally in life, but the medication seemed to sharpen my ability to focus and carry projects through to completion without needing the adrenalin rush of a looming deadline.
My son went through a formal diagnosis with one of the best in the country, Dr. Drake Duane (a psychologist and neurologist here in Scottsdale). The tried a pharmaceutical intervention with my son with immediate, documental results. I went back to my doctor to discuss whether the Fen-Phen (banned by this time) could have actually been treating my ADHD.
Turns out, it had been. Crazy way to stumble across such a life changing thing, but there is was. Medication to treat my ADHD didnt solve my eating problems, but (looking back) I think it might have slowed my weight gain. I viewed the medications as my emotional glassesI could still make bad, impulsive decision, be distractiblegrab something to eat out of bordombut now I could see these things coming and I had a chance to make a different decision.
Anyway, lots more to say on the subject, but for nowI wanted to let you know I am glad you are focusing on this topic because I agree that it is import and but mis-understood.
JJ
You are absolutely right about our tendency to ' compartmentalize' our thinking. That's a very useful organizational tool at times. But other times it can clearly be self-defeating.
From my perspective, ADHD, obesity and weight loss surgery are not separate issues. Not in myself and not in others who share my attributes. They are part and parcel of a highly integrated whole. And seeing them in that context is especially relevant in light of the single most important issue facing the weight loss surgery patient - long term success of the surgery. It is clear from the collective experiences of this group that long term success of weight loss surgery does not 'just happen' simply because we want it to.
It's also true that I post numerous links in my writings on this topic. If someone is exploring the relationship between ADHD and obesity and they run across my posts, I feel that it is important to share where I am getting my information from. There is a vast amount of misinformation about ADHD on the Internet - as well as a great many ambiguities. Knowing some of the sources where I've learned the things I have will let others decide for themselves how much credibility they choose to give to anything I've said. I'm also fairly clear in my posts that, with respect to ADHD, I'm no expert and I'm not even a well-seasoned ADHD patient.
To paraphrase a quote by Richard Bach in his book Illusions, "Everything in my posts may be wrong."
I'm not at all 'disappointed' that I haven't seen some kind of extraordinary response to my postings on ADHD here. I truly did not expect it. It took me a full 6 months to realize that I really was a 52 year old adult who lived their entire life with undiagnosed ADHD.
At some point, I do expect to become involved with an ADHD support group. But I am much more interested at this point in exploring the ways in which my ADHD is tightly interwoven with my obesity and my eventual decision to have the gastric bypass surgery. My focus is on understanding these connections because I spent 6 years thinking about and preparing for this surgery and it's long term success is of the utmost importance.
I choose to share my experiences here because I hardly think I'm unique. Why do I believe this? Because of what I am reading in the links I've posted. And if I'm right about that, then others here in this group - either now or in the future - have a right to get the same significant benefits from treatment and understanding that I have. Am I right? I don't know. But not sharing my story here, in the very place where it could potentially help many, was simply not a choice for me.