Weight gain and the incidence of obesity are a particular challenge for children with autism.
That’s the finding of a new study conducted among more than 5,000 children.
Weight differences were most striking in the pre-school years and among teenagers.
Researchers found 16 per cent of children with autism from two to five years old were obese. This compared with 10 per cent of their typically developing peers.
With teenagers, the proportions rose to 26 per cent of those with autism becoming obese. This compared with 20 per cent of typically developing peers.
Study author Alison Presmanes Hill, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Institute on Development and Disability at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, thinks there is a simple reason why weight differences start at such a young age. “A lot of things are happening for these families when their children are under five, including going through the process of getting a diagnosis and just managing day-to-day behaviours and juggling their child’s education and treatment needs,” she said.
Autism symptoms overshadow concerns about weight
“It is possible that the early signs and symptoms of autism are so salient for parents that they could overshadow concerns about weight problems.”
Hill and her colleagues weighed and measured more than 5,000 children. They were all aged 2 to 17 who had an autism spectrum disorder. They compared each child’s body mass index to the expected range for their age and sex. Body mass index is the ratio of height to weight.
The researchers also collected information on the children’s behaviour, mental abilities, medications and other medical conditions. As scores on scales of sleep problems and behavioural difficulties went up, the risk of obesity went up, too.
Risk factors for obesity
Dr Sonia Monteiro is a developmental paediatrician at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. She says contributing risk factors may include selective eating and decreased engagement in physical activity. She also pointed to the use of medications that can lead to weight gain.
Hill said that one possible reason for lower levels of physical activity in younger children is that preschoolers with autism may participate less often in social activities. At that age, such activities often involve energetic play.
Jack Dempsey is a paediatric psychologist at Texas Children’s Hospital’s Autism Center in Houston. He suggested some straightforward ways of helping to reduce children’s risk of obesity: setting limits on their consumption of calorie-dense foods, limiting the amount of time they are allowed to watch television or engage in other media, and incorporating physical activity into children’s daily routine as a family.
He added: “Parents should keep in mind that these strategies are challenging to implement in children with autism spectrum disorders and not be discouraged by setbacks.”
Hill said of her team’s research: “We hope that our findings encourage health care providers to start thinking about and proactively addressing weight issues early, so that they don’t end up on the back burner.”
Published: 12 November 2015
