The EU TIMESPAN Project is working at the intersection of obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases, and adult attention-deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which emerging evidence suggests have shared genetic traits. Obesity and ADHD are both stigmatised conditions. This stigmatisation creates significant barriers to effective treatment and quality of life.
Both conditions are frequently mischaracterized as personal failings—obesity as a lack of willpower and ADHD as poor discipline or parenting—despite robust evidence of their complex neurobiological, genetic, and environmental determinants. This stigma manifests in healthcare through delayed diagnoses, inadequate treatment, and dismissive attitudes, while in broader society it appears as discrimination in education, employment, and social settings, contributing to psychological distress, diminished self-esteem, and treatment avoidance.
Clinical management must address these conditions holistically while actively addressing stigma through evidence-based education and person-first approaches. Healthcare professionals benefit from training to recognise and mitigate their own biases, focusing on evidence based, comprehensive care.
Public health initiatives should identify genetic and biological predispositions and emphasise environmental and systemic factors over individual blame, promoting inclusive policies in schools and workplaces, which accommodate diverse neurological profiles and avoid weight bias and obesity stigma.
By reducing stigma, we not only improve treatment outcomes but also foster a more equitable society that recognises the dignity and complexity of people living with obesity and ADHD.
This article was provided by Sheree Bryant.
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