Laboratory snack food intake, negative mood, and impulsivity in youth with ADHD symptoms and episodes of loss of control eating. Where is the missing link?

To compare laboratory food intake, negative mood and trait impulsivity and their association with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and loss of control (LOC) eating in youth (middle childhood to early adolescence). Ninety 10–14 year old youths with symptoms of ADHD, symptoms of LOC eating, and control participants took part in a laboratory snack food meal after having rated trait impulsivity. Negative mood was self-reported pre and post snack food meal, while representativeness of eating behavior and liking of the food was assessed post laboratory snack food meal. The ADHD group consumed more snack food than the other groups. Food intake was not influenced by negative mood or trait impulsivity. All groups exhibited a decrease in negative mood from pre to post food intake that was not accounted for by level of hunger or liking of the food. The greater food intake of the ADHD group compared to the other groups may contribute to the development of overweight and therefore be in accordance with the high co-morbidity reported between ADHD and obesity in youth. The influence of impulsivity and negative mood on food intake could not be shown, which corroborates a recent review on the association of negative mood and bingeing in adults but needs further assessment, particularly in the younger age groups.

► Greater laboratory snack food intake in adolescents with ADHD compared to LOC eating and healthy controls.
► Slightly greater snack food intake in adolescents with LOC eating compared to healthy controls.
► Negative mood and trait impulsivity did not influence amount of food eaten in any group.
► Mood did improve in all groups during snack food intake.