6 ms·

ADHD and Methylphenidate Use in Prepubertal Children and Adult BMI and Height

30 points by wjb3 8mo ago

wjb3 8mo ago
Patients with ADHD, particularly those treated with MPH, had a higher BMI and shorter height at adulthood than individuals without ADHD.
reify 8mo ago
[flagged]
- dundercoder 8mo ago
  Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a central nervous system stimulant used for ADHD and narcolepsy, but it is not an amphetamine based medication, unlike Adderall. While both increase dopamine and norepinephrine, Ritalin acts as a reuptake inhibitor rather than a stimulant that directly releases these neurotransmitters like amphetamines do. Adderall saved my life. YMMV
  - rjh29 8mo ago
    Is there any actual difference between preventing reuptake and directly releasing them?
    - rcxdude 8mo ago
      Almost certainly, this is biology, after all.
- JayDustheadz 8mo ago
  If you don't see the difference between metaamphetamines and their deriatives vs methylphenidate, then you don't have any right to comment on the subject. And no, it's not a "drug". Calling it such is guilt-tripping those that want to/do use MPH it and there's already a ton of that in the lives of people with ADHD. A parent hearing somebody call MPH a "drug" = "There's no way in hell I'm giving my kid DRUGS!!11". For kids with ADHD (and for people with ADHD in general), medication is massive a life changer ( and saver too ) - from often nightmare to livable/decent. You don't have any right to take that away from them.
  - mindslight 8mo ago
    If parents (or anyone else) is unable to overcome their cognitive dissonance from drugs being called drugs, they really have no business making decisions about their use.
    - JayDustheadz 8mo ago
      You clearly have no idea how people with ADHD / parents of ADHD kids feel like. Just because you can "overcome your cognitive dissonance" doesn't mean that everybody has the same freedom/will/strength to do so. Adding the weight of the "drugs" tag is not a way to help those who need medication to barely function like a normal person.
      - mindslight 8mo ago
        I don't have cognitive dissonance to overcome here as I'm not reflexively recoiling at the term "drugs". If someone is unable to acknowledge that drugs are drugs, how are they supposed to analyze the intended effects, possible side effects, the actual effects, etc? Or are we just supposed to blindly trust the overworked bureaucrat in the white coat? And sure, I understand if someone needs to just trust a bureaucrat to bootstrap themselves to the point where they can make decisions. But your original comment was talking about parents making these decisions for kids, which is quite dodgy if they're in denial that these are mind altering substances.
        solumunus 8mo ago
        Something can be mind altering without producing a recreational high for the user. Isn’t it strange that people don’t chime in on threads about anti depressants with “don’t you know you’re taking drugs?!?!”…
        verall 8mo ago
        Some people do though. Then the "Your coffee/food/electronics/exercise/(etc but increasingly tenuous) are a drug" people start to jump in...
- JayDustheadz 8mo ago
  Oh, and by the way: wherever you are is not the center of the world. In the EU, barely anyone recognizes the names "Ritalin", "Adderall" etc. - methylphenidate is a lot more common.
  - deaux 8mo ago
    > In the EU, barely anyone recognizes the names "Ritalin", "Adderall" etc. - methylphenidate is a lot more common. Nope, completely depends on the country, both for EU and non-EU. Nothing special about EU in this case. Plenty of EU countries where "Ritalin" is 100x better known than "methylphenidate". Don't take your bubble and extrapolate it to a federation of 450 million people with 27 countries. > Oh, and by the way: wherever you are is not the center of the world. If you were going for the "most ironic HN comment of 2026 award", it's a great attempt!
  - StefanBatory 8mo ago
    Ehh, even in EU context I'm familiar with knowing ADHD meds by that name. That was the least consequential point of their post.
brasscupcakes 8mo ago
The BMI being higher is slightly interesting (you would guess it would be the reverse), but the height differential seems vanishingly small. Concerns that stimulant meds taken as children reduced adult height have been around for three decades. To my mind, the bigger take away here is that ADHD meds don't significantly impact adult height.
- DaanDL 8mo ago
  Maybe they have a higher BMI because they become less active :D
  - snuxoll 8mo ago
    Or, alternatively, because many of us have a tendency to eat when we are uninterested in other tasks...simply how much I snack, whether I feel like eating at regular mealtimes, and the correlated impact on my weight, is a pretty big indicator that I need to ask my physician to adjust the dose of my Vyvanse next time I send a message for my next fill.
- rrobukef 8mo ago
  The fact that the height of adult males with ADHD is greater than that of males without ADHD (first figure/graphs, G & H) should indicate that there is no causative link that the medication has an impact. For females, the average does not show this, but if you look carefully, the variation is bigger. The same selection bias is possible in this case. Instead, to me it looks like there is selection bias going on. Shorter males are more likely to get MPH prescribed is an equally valid explanation. Luckily, the conclusion makes no assertions about height either, nor does the paper make conclusions about any causative relation.
danr4 8mo ago
This is not known enough. I was prescribed Ritalin when i was 6 years old, and was considered one of the short kid my entire childhood (and suffered the consequences). I decided to stop taking meds when I was 17, and in a few years became the tallest of my friend group. I'm older now, and occasionally have periods where I take what I consider "better" meds like Vyvanse, but there ain't no way i'm letting my kids take ANYTHING until they are much much older and can decide for themselves.
- DaanDL 8mo ago
  Anecdotical...Also: "clinically modest, reduction in adult height"
- wafflemaker 8mo ago
  Unless the kids have a feeling they should go off meds to get taller (like you did), isn't it better for them to be on meds? Average first time for sex with adhd girls is 13y vs 17y for non adhd or medicated. Probability to be addicted to drugs or alcohol halves for when on meds vs without. Same goes for obesity, etc. I didn't get meds when I was younger. Now I have top 1% IQ (likely average here on hn), but work as a butcher at a slaughterhouse. My mom didn't want to stigmatise me with a diagnosis. Don't have time to finish the post, and I don't believe I'm entitled to anything. But if I had less problems at school, I might've been doing sth more fun now and less demanding on the body.
  - rayiner 8mo ago
    > I didn't get meds when I was younger. Now I have top 1% IQ (likely average here on hn), but work as a butcher at a slaughterhouse. My mom didn't want to stigmatise me with a diagnosis Yeah, get your kids diagnosed and get them medicated if they need to be. Adderall is one of the most well studied medications in the world. Whatever downsides there are pale in comparison to the academic and social downsides of untreated ADHD.
  - danr4 8mo ago
    i did not stop to get taller, it just felt like crap. I think as you get older and more independent it starts messing with your sense of self. is it better to be on meds? maybe i don't know. all i have is my experience. and looking back i'd much rather my parents told the school "fu im not giving my kid stimulants just challenge him" and to provide the challenge if the school didn't. if you're top 1% (definitely not hn average), it's very likely you had "problems at school" simply because it was boring. don't know how old you are but with 1% there's really nothing preventing you from learning whatever it is you want to learn and go do something else.
jaimsam 8mo ago
[dead]
ravenstine 8mo ago
Could the BMI thing be simply explained by the treated children expending less kinetic energy? In other words, they are less hyperactive, so it seems logical that they might actually be prone to some weight gain.
- joezydeco 8mo ago
  Methylphenidate is also prescribed for ADHD-PI (inattentive). My son took this medication and for him it served as an appetite suppressant. He's also 6'5" now as an adult. So individual experiences will vary.
  - ravenstine 8mo ago
    I take methylphenidate, actually. I experienced the appetite suppressing effect, but I would say that after ~3 to 5 months on the drug that basically went away. There's still a noticeable benefit for attention, but otherwise I eat just about as much as ever. But yeah, different experiences for different folks.

30 points by wjb3 8mo ago

wjb3 8mo ago

Patients with ADHD, particularly those treated with MPH, had a higher BMI and shorter height at adulthood than individuals without ADHD.

reify 8mo ago

[flagged]

dundercoder 8mo ago
Ritalin (methylphenidate) is a central nervous system stimulant used for ADHD and narcolepsy, but it is not an amphetamine based medication, unlike Adderall. While both increase dopamine and norepinephrine, Ritalin acts as a reuptake inhibitor rather than a stimulant that directly releases these neurotransmitters like amphetamines do. Adderall saved my life. YMMV
- rjh29 8mo ago
  Is there any actual difference between preventing reuptake and directly releasing them?
  - rcxdude 8mo ago
    Almost certainly, this is biology, after all.
JayDustheadz 8mo ago
If you don't see the difference between metaamphetamines and their deriatives vs methylphenidate, then you don't have any right to comment on the subject. And no, it's not a "drug". Calling it such is guilt-tripping those that want to/do use MPH it and there's already a ton of that in the lives of people with ADHD. A parent hearing somebody call MPH a "drug" = "There's no way in hell I'm giving my kid DRUGS!!11". For kids with ADHD (and for people with ADHD in general), medication is massive a life changer ( and saver too ) - from often nightmare to livable/decent. You don't have any right to take that away from them.
- mindslight 8mo ago
  If parents (or anyone else) is unable to overcome their cognitive dissonance from drugs being called drugs, they really have no business making decisions about their use.
  - JayDustheadz 8mo ago
    You clearly have no idea how people with ADHD / parents of ADHD kids feel like. Just because you can "overcome your cognitive dissonance" doesn't mean that everybody has the same freedom/will/strength to do so. Adding the weight of the "drugs" tag is not a way to help those who need medication to barely function like a normal person.
    - mindslight 8mo ago
      I don't have cognitive dissonance to overcome here as I'm not reflexively recoiling at the term "drugs". If someone is unable to acknowledge that drugs are drugs, how are they supposed to analyze the intended effects, possible side effects, the actual effects, etc? Or are we just supposed to blindly trust the overworked bureaucrat in the white coat? And sure, I understand if someone needs to just trust a bureaucrat to bootstrap themselves to the point where they can make decisions. But your original comment was talking about parents making these decisions for kids, which is quite dodgy if they're in denial that these are mind altering substances.
      - solumunus 8mo ago
        Something can be mind altering without producing a recreational high for the user. Isn’t it strange that people don’t chime in on threads about anti depressants with “don’t you know you’re taking drugs?!?!”…
        verall 8mo ago
        Some people do though. Then the "Your coffee/food/electronics/exercise/(etc but increasingly tenuous) are a drug" people start to jump in...
JayDustheadz 8mo ago
Oh, and by the way: wherever you are is not the center of the world. In the EU, barely anyone recognizes the names "Ritalin", "Adderall" etc. - methylphenidate is a lot more common.
- deaux 8mo ago
  > In the EU, barely anyone recognizes the names "Ritalin", "Adderall" etc. - methylphenidate is a lot more common. Nope, completely depends on the country, both for EU and non-EU. Nothing special about EU in this case. Plenty of EU countries where "Ritalin" is 100x better known than "methylphenidate". Don't take your bubble and extrapolate it to a federation of 450 million people with 27 countries. > Oh, and by the way: wherever you are is not the center of the world. If you were going for the "most ironic HN comment of 2026 award", it's a great attempt!
- StefanBatory 8mo ago
  Ehh, even in EU context I'm familiar with knowing ADHD meds by that name. That was the least consequential point of their post.

brasscupcakes 8mo ago

The BMI being higher is slightly interesting (you would guess it would be the reverse), but the height differential seems vanishingly small. Concerns that stimulant meds taken as children reduced adult height have been around for three decades. To my mind, the bigger take away here is that ADHD meds don't significantly impact adult height.

DaanDL 8mo ago
Maybe they have a higher BMI because they become less active :D
- snuxoll 8mo ago
  Or, alternatively, because many of us have a tendency to eat when we are uninterested in other tasks...simply how much I snack, whether I feel like eating at regular mealtimes, and the correlated impact on my weight, is a pretty big indicator that I need to ask my physician to adjust the dose of my Vyvanse next time I send a message for my next fill.
rrobukef 8mo ago
The fact that the height of adult males with ADHD is greater than that of males without ADHD (first figure/graphs, G & H) should indicate that there is no causative link that the medication has an impact. For females, the average does not show this, but if you look carefully, the variation is bigger. The same selection bias is possible in this case. Instead, to me it looks like there is selection bias going on. Shorter males are more likely to get MPH prescribed is an equally valid explanation. Luckily, the conclusion makes no assertions about height either, nor does the paper make conclusions about any causative relation.

danr4 8mo ago

This is not known enough. I was prescribed Ritalin when i was 6 years old, and was considered one of the short kid my entire childhood (and suffered the consequences). I decided to stop taking meds when I was 17, and in a few years became the tallest of my friend group. I'm older now, and occasionally have periods where I take what I consider "better" meds like Vyvanse, but there ain't no way i'm letting my kids take ANYTHING until they are much much older and can decide for themselves.

DaanDL 8mo ago
Anecdotical...Also: "clinically modest, reduction in adult height"
wafflemaker 8mo ago
Unless the kids have a feeling they should go off meds to get taller (like you did), isn't it better for them to be on meds? Average first time for sex with adhd girls is 13y vs 17y for non adhd or medicated. Probability to be addicted to drugs or alcohol halves for when on meds vs without. Same goes for obesity, etc. I didn't get meds when I was younger. Now I have top 1% IQ (likely average here on hn), but work as a butcher at a slaughterhouse. My mom didn't want to stigmatise me with a diagnosis. Don't have time to finish the post, and I don't believe I'm entitled to anything. But if I had less problems at school, I might've been doing sth more fun now and less demanding on the body.
- rayiner 8mo ago
  > I didn't get meds when I was younger. Now I have top 1% IQ (likely average here on hn), but work as a butcher at a slaughterhouse. My mom didn't want to stigmatise me with a diagnosis Yeah, get your kids diagnosed and get them medicated if they need to be. Adderall is one of the most well studied medications in the world. Whatever downsides there are pale in comparison to the academic and social downsides of untreated ADHD.
- danr4 8mo ago
  i did not stop to get taller, it just felt like crap. I think as you get older and more independent it starts messing with your sense of self. is it better to be on meds? maybe i don't know. all i have is my experience. and looking back i'd much rather my parents told the school "fu im not giving my kid stimulants just challenge him" and to provide the challenge if the school didn't. if you're top 1% (definitely not hn average), it's very likely you had "problems at school" simply because it was boring. don't know how old you are but with 1% there's really nothing preventing you from learning whatever it is you want to learn and go do something else.

jaimsam 8mo ago

[dead]

ravenstine 8mo ago

Could the BMI thing be simply explained by the treated children expending less kinetic energy? In other words, they are less hyperactive, so it seems logical that they might actually be prone to some weight gain.

joezydeco 8mo ago
Methylphenidate is also prescribed for ADHD-PI (inattentive). My son took this medication and for him it served as an appetite suppressant. He's also 6'5" now as an adult. So individual experiences will vary.
- ravenstine 8mo ago
  I take methylphenidate, actually. I experienced the appetite suppressing effect, but I would say that after ~3 to 5 months on the drug that basically went away. There's still a noticeable benefit for attention, but otherwise I eat just about as much as ever. But yeah, different experiences for different folks.