British fitness star Joe Wicks has corrected his comments after suggesting that ADHD is fuelled by a poor diet.
In April 2024, the Body Coach said his ADHD was triggered by eating ultra-processed food, such as Wagon Wheels and jam sandwiches.
After saying the brain condition could “stem back to the diet and foods that we’re eating”, Joe Wicks received backlash from the ADHD community, with experts labelling his comments as ‘misleading’, ‘wrong’ and ‘damaging’.
In a recent interview, the 39-year-old has now said that ADHD is not caused by a poor diet and instead wants to highlight that junk food can impact a child’s behaviour.
He said: “It was really upsetting because it was never my intention. I was just trying to say that diet has a massive effect on our mood as adults and kids, our energy, our focus. And I said something that offended some people in the ADHD community. They’ll never forgive me for that.
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“Obviously, what I was saying was certain foods I ate… and even now, with my kids, it really affects them.”
He added: “They don’t want to sit still, their behaviour changes. I wasn’t saying that ADHD is caused by poor diet. I just think it can really have an impact.”
Reflecting on the BBC podcast in April, Joe Wicks said: “Looking back now, there’s no doubt the food I was eating was directly linked to my behaviour.
“I was never diagnosed with ADHD, but I think nowadays it’s this common thing that every child seems to be diagnosed. And I think a lot of it can stem back to the diet and the foods that we’re eating.”
He added: “So, when I think about my diet it was cereal for breakfast, concentrated juice from the milkman, Sunny Delight, Wagon Wheels, sandwiches just jam, Nutella, very little nutrients — pure sugar.
“It’s [his comments] triggered and angered so many people in the ADHD community and rightly so. I completely understand.”
He continued: “I know that’s not factual, that isn’t true. I don’t believe that. I never have, I never would say that.
“It’s a neurodivergent disorder that affects the brain and there are lots of factors involved. I do believe that food has a massive impact whether you have ADHD or not.”
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He explained: “It really impacts our mood nd our ability to sit still and focus, even our energy and our mental health.
“In hindsight, listening back to it [the podcast episode] a couple of times, I do wish I had said misdiagnosed.”
He concluded: “What I mean is many children are being misdiagnosed and I do believe that is happening around the world.”
More than 230,000 Brits have been diagnosed with ADHD and using medication to treat the condition, NHS data has reported.
The number of women in their 20s and 30s receiving an ADHD diagnosis has significantly increased, figures have revealed.
Awareness about ADHD has risen in recent years, with celebrities such as Olivia Attwood and Katie Price opening up about living with the condition.
