Nell Jensen, a 41-year-old woman from Brighton, shares her remarkable story of overcoming weight struggles after being diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Despite trying various diets and exercise programs, Nell found it difficult to control her eating habits, particularly her snacking. However, after being diagnosed with ADHD, she discovered that her symptoms were linked to low levels of dopamine, a feel-good brain chemical. With the help of her psychologist and medication, Nell was able to address her dopamine snacking and improve her eating habits. Her story highlights the importance of seeking help for mental health issues, particularly for women who may be experiencing symptoms of ADHD. By acknowledging and addressing these issues, individuals can take the first step towards a healthier, happier life.
When Nell Jensen took her first dose of the weight-loss injection Wegovy, she thought it would be the beginning of the end to her lifelong struggle with her weight.
However, it would not be until she was diagnosed with a common brain condition two years later that she would finally reach a healthy size. The 41-year-old, who grew up in The Netherlands before moving to Brighton, says as a child she was relentlessly mocked for her weight. She tried repeatedly to lose weight - with various diets and exercise programmes. But she found that, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't control her eating.
She says that her biggest issue was her snacking: Nell would often mindlessly eat chocolate and biscuits, often regretting it immediately afterwards.
'It was like I would have no control,' she says. However, in 2023 Nell reached her lowest point. After a difficult divorce that led to 'a year of eating Chinese takeaway every day', Nell was her heaviest at 14 stone and 13 pounds. It was at this point that Nell decided to turn to Wegovy.
The once-a-week jab suppresses appetite. Studies show that the average obese patient will lose up to a fifth of their body weight on the drug in less than a year. Nell hoped that it would have the same effect for her - so much so that she was willing to pay roughly £160-a-month for the jabs despite her relatively low salary.
However, heartbreakingly for Nell, Wegovy failed to trigger the results that she had hoped for. Over five months, she managed to lose less than 11 pounds. Eventually, given the high price of the jabs, Nell decided to come off Wegovy. And, worst of all, when Nell stopped taking the medicine her weight ballooned - within months returning to her heaviest.
'It was meant to be the answer,' she says. 'But it just didn't have the effect I had hoped for.
' However, two years later, Nell accidentally stumbled upon a lasting solution to her weight problems when she visited a psychologist. Nell says she had always suffered with mental health problems.
'I felt like my brain would always get bored easily,' she says. 'I could never concentrate on tasks for long. I also often found communicating with others difficult. So I pushed my GP to refer me to a psychologist.
' After assessing Nell, the psychologist gave her a diagnosis: the brain disorder attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Around 3million people in the UK are believed to have ADHD - defined by inattentiveness, hyperactivity and impulsiveness. In 2025, Nell was diagnosed with the brain disorder attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Around 3million people in the UK are believed to have ADHD While research suggests that the number of women and men with ADHD is broadly the same, experts say that females often go undiagnosed or are told they have the condition late in life. A recent Cambridge University study found that around 40 per cent of women with ADHD do not get diagnosed until they are in their 40s.
And, crucially, experts say that there is a strong link between ADHD and obesity. According to some studies, ADHD patients are between 50 and 80 per cent more likely to be obese. Children with the condition are 30 per cent more likely to have the severe weight problem.
'There's a big association between the two conditions,' says Prof Katya Rubia, a cognitive neuroscientist at King's College London. 'Interestingly, it seems that this link is more common in women than men. ' Experts say it is still unclear why the two are linked.
However, one theory is that ADHD patients appear to have low levels of the feel-good brain chemical dopamine. Experts say the body produces dopamine in response to activities that make us feel happy or relaxed. This could be sport, sex, or earning money.
However, it can also be gained through eating. This means, as Prof Rubia explains, that many ADHD patients may turn to food as a means of boosting their dopamine. He prescribed her the daily tablet bupropion, a dopamine-boosting drug. Within weeks of taking her ADHD tablets, Nell realised she was snacking less.
Nell says she also improved her diet, cutting out unhealthy meals like croissants and ham cheese toasties for soups and salads. Nell believes this explains her incessant snacking.
'I realised that I had been 'dopamine snacking',' she says. 'I would eat unhealthy things because they gave me a quick mood boost. And I would do this even though I knew they were unhealthy for me.
' And, crucially, her psychologist told her that ADHD medication could potentially end her dopamine snacking. Nell's diagnosis and subsequent treatment for ADHD have been life-changing. She says that since starting her medication, she has noticed a significant improvement in her eating habits.
'I no longer feel the need to snack constantly,' she says. 'I feel more in control of my eating, and I've been able to stick to a healthier diet. It's been a game-changer for me.
' Nell's story highlights the importance of seeking help for mental health issues, particularly for women who may be experiencing symptoms of ADHD. By acknowledging and addressing these issues, individuals can take the first step towards a healthier, happier life. As Nell says, 'I'm grateful for my diagnosis and treatment. It's given me a new lease on life, and I'm excited to see what the future holds.
ADHD Weight Loss Dopamine Snacking Mental Health Dietary Changes
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