Epidemiology of ADHD coming of age and a plea for prospective research on causes and consequences of ADHD throughout the lifespan in multidisciplinary team science

[...]they point out that an onset of ADHD is gradual and the distinction between pre-onset and post-onset not clear-cut: precursor behaviors of ADHD may already evoke personal and environmental alterations. [...]for a causal understanding of ADHD, we need to know these as well. ADHD is a multifactorial condition resulting from the collective influence of multiple personal and environmental risk factors, each contributing a minor part but working in unison to heighten ADHD susceptibility. With none of the risk factors being necessary or sufficient, pathways toward onset of ADHD diverge among children and the to-be-expected small effects of any risk factor manifest as even smaller effects when averaged across all children in the study sample. [...]with regard to the development of comorbid obesity, impulsive reward driven eating of high caloric, low nutrient, foods leading to overweight may be particularly prevalent in adolescents with ADHD, while lack of physical activity associated with difficulties with motivation and organization in ADHD may contribute to weight gain particularly in adults (note that this is a fictitious example, changes in risk factors contributing to weight gain in individuals with ADHD relative to individuals without ADHD in different developmental periods have not yet been studied).