The possible role of air pollution in the link between ADHD and obesity.

Cortese et al. [1] proposed a link between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obesity, and iron deficiency in Postgraduate Medicine. A later meta-analyses conducted by Cortese et al. [2] concluded a positive association between attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and obesity and overweight in both children and adults. Importantly, when the authors stratified the analyses by medication status, the association was lost, although this finding was correlational and should not be taken to imply any utility of the medications in the management of obesity and overweight. The findings of the meta-analyses conducted by Cortese et al. [2] are clarified by the recent investigation of food eating patterns in Greek preschool children and associated ADHD symptoms. Leventakou et al. [3] report that food responsiveness and emotional overeating were positively associated with symptoms of ADHD. Furthermore, HbA1c levels were recently shown to be higher in drug-naïve ADHD children compared to control children [4], suggesting altered glucose homeostasis may accompany abnormal food preferences and obesity risk in ADHD. More research clarifying the neurobiological mechanisms to explain these findings is, therefore, warranted and is this commentary’s offering.