In April 2024, fitness coach Joe Wicks suggested in a podcast interview that diet, and the processed food many children eat, could be behind some of the rise in ADHD diagnoses. The comments were widely reported and drew a strong response from ADHD adults, parents and clinicians. This is where we stand.
What ADHD is
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) is a neurodevelopmental condition. It affects attention, activity levels and impulsivity, and for many people it brings real strengths alongside the challenges, such as energy, creativity and the ability to hyperfocus. You can read more in our post on the strengths of ADHD.
ADHD isn’t only a childhood condition. Many people aren’t diagnosed until adulthood, often after years of being misunderstood, as we explain in why ADHD often goes undetected in adults. The NHS guide to ADHD in adults is a good plain English overview.
What the evidence says about diet
Food and behaviour have been linked in public debate for decades, and some parents do notice that particular foods seem to affect their child. The clinical guidance is more cautious. NICE, which sets clinical guidance for the NHS in England, advises against cutting out artificial colourings and additives as a general treatment for ADHD. Where a clinician sees a clear link between a specific food and someone’s behaviour, NICE suggests a food diary and a referral to a dietitian, with any changes managed by specialists. You can read the reasoning in NICE’s evidence review on dietary interventions for ADHD.
Eating well is good for everyone, ADHD or not. That is a long way from saying diet causes ADHD, or that changing it will make ADHD go away.
Our stance on Joe Wicks’ comments
Joe Wicks has done a lot to get people moving, and his wider campaigning on children’s diets comes from a good place. But framing ADHD as something food causes gets the condition wrong, and it does harm.
It feeds an idea ADHD people already hear far too often: that their brain is a lifestyle problem they could fix if they just tried harder. It also lands on parents, who may feel blamed for their child’s diagnosis. And it adds weight to the suspicion that ADHD is overdiagnosed, at a time when many people still wait years for an assessment.
The rise in diagnoses has more convincing explanations, including better awareness, more adults and women being recognised, and less stigma about asking for help. We looked at this in more depth in the surge in ADHD diagnoses.
People with large platforms shape how the public, including employers, think about ADHD. That comes with a responsibility to check the evidence before sharing a personal theory.
What actually helps
For ADHD people, the things that make the biggest difference are usually understanding, the right support and environments built with different minds in mind. At work, that might mean flexible deadlines, fewer interruptions, clear written priorities or coaching. Our guide to ADHD in the workplace sets out what employers can put in place.
How Enna can help
Misconceptions like this one travel fast, and they shape how managers respond to ADHD colleagues. Our Neurodiversity 101 workshop gives staff accurate, evidence based understanding of ADHD and other neurodivergent conditions, and our workplace coaching supports ADHD employees and their managers one to one.
If you’re ADHD and want an employer that already gets it, take a look at the Enna jobs board.
