title: Weight loss following a clinic-based weight loss program among adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the present study was to compare obese patients screening positive or negative for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) on pretreatment body mass index (BMI), weight loss following a 16 week clinic-based behavioral weight loss program, weight loss attempts, dietary and physical activity habits, perceived difficulty of weight control skills, and eating self-efficacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients who completed a behavioral weight loss program were approached to complete questionnaires on ADHD and eating habits. Medical charts were reviewed to obtain weight at pre- and post-treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participants (N=63) were 75% female, mean age was 49 (SD=10.3), mean body mass index (BMI) was 41.4 kg/m² (SD=6.8) and 30% screened positive for ADHD on the Adult ADHD Symptom Rating Scale. Participants screening positive for ADHD did not have a higher BMI at baseline (p=0.41), but reported more previous weight loss attempts (p=0.01) and lost less weight (p=0.02) than participants who screened negative. Participants screening positive also reported consuming fast food meals more frequently (p=0.04), higher levels of emotional eating (p=0.002), greater difficulty with weight control skills (p=0.01), and lower eating self-efficacy (p=0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Attention-related problems appear to be common among weight treatment-seeking samples and represent a significant barrier to weight control that has not yet been addressed in the literature.
authors.affiliation: University of Massachusetts Medical School, Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine, 55 Lake Avenue North, Worcester, MA 01655, USA. sherry.pagoto@umassmed.edu
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Pagoto
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Curtin
authors.forename: L G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Bandini
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Bodenlos
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D004035:Diet Therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires