A 2014 study of more than 6,000 children and teenagers on the spectrum found that they are more than twice as likely to be overweight and nearly five times as likely to be obese as their typical peers. Those statistics translate to higher rates of a host of associated health issues.
Research shows that children with autism face a higher risk of obesity, which increases their risk of various chronic health conditions.
After controlling for race, ethnicity, income, age and sex, the researchers estimate that children with autism have 1.48 times the odds of being overweight, and 1.49 times the odds of being obese, compared with their typical peers.
Girls with autism tend to have smaller heads and bodies than their typically developing peers, whereas boys with the disorder tend to have average-sized heads and slightly larger bodies, report two studies published in July. The studies contribute new data to the debate around head size in autism.
The prevalence of abnormal metabolic biomarkers is even higher, suggesting that as many as 30% of children with ASD may experience metabolic abnormalities: almost one-third of autistic children have documented elevations in plasma lactate and/or the lactate-to-pyruvate ratio, and the levels of many other mitochondrial ...
Causes of overeating in autistic children and teenagers include habits, obsessions, unpredictable mealtimes, sensory sensitivities and emotions. It can help to keep snack foods out of reach or sight, replace snacks with other activities, and aim for predictable meals.
In previous studies, children with autism have been found to have unusually wide faces and wide-set eyes. The cheeks and the nose are also shorter on their faces (Aldridge et al., 2011).
However, the fitness tests showed that aerobic fitness, flexibility and body mass index of children with autism spectrum disorders was similar to the children without autism. The strength test was the only one that children with autism spectrum disorders did not perform as well in, the study said.
Some of the frequent facial features of autism are a broader upper face, shorter middle face, wider eyes, bigger mouth, and the philtrum [19]. The use of facial features as a physical marker to detect autism is one of the most exciting topics in autism research.
When Does Autism Get Easier? A new study found that around 30% of young autistic children have less severe symptoms at age 6 than they did at age 3. Interestingly, some children lose their autism diagnoses entirely.
While autism does not necessarily get worse with age, there are some factors that can exacerbate symptoms and make it more difficult for individuals to manage their condition. For example, stress and anxiety can have a significant impact on the symptoms of autism.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, behaviorally defined, neurodevelopmental disorder that has been modeled as a brain-based disease. The behavioral and cognitive features of ASD are associated with pervasive atypicalities in the central nervous system (CNS).
Eating problems are common in autistic people.
Issues such as only eating very few foods, not being able to eat at school, going long periods of time without eating and pica (eating non-foods) can feel difficult to understand and manage.
Third, many people affected by autism experience what we call hyperphagia. This is an intense desire to eat that goes beyond true hunger. Given unchecked access to food, someone with hyperphagia may eat almost constantly.
As a group, children with ASDs appear to be taller than their unaffected siblings. Children with Asperger's Syndrome and Autism, specifically, appear taller than those with PDD-NOS who, in turn, do not differ from unaffected siblings in height. (See Figure 1.)
People with high functioning autism may exhibit a delay or lack of social skills. They can have difficulty understanding the feelings and reactions of others which can make them appear to be insensitive at times. Some people may struggle to interact and insist on talking about things they are passionate about instead.
Although the exact cause of autism is still unknown, there is evidence to suggest that genetics play a significant role. Since autism is less prevalent in females, autism was always thought to be passed down from the mother. However, research suggests that autism genes are usually inherited from the father.
Many children show symptoms of autism by 12 months to 18 months of age or earlier. Some early signs of autism include: Problems with eye contact. No response to his or her name.
The autism diagnosis age and intensity of autism's early signs vary widely. Some infants show hints in their first months. In others, behaviors become obvious as late as age 2 or 3. Not all children with autism show all the signs.
Such food behaviours can include very limited food preferences, hypersensitivity to food textures or temperatures, and pocketing food without swallowing. A diet could be primarily made up of pasta, bread and chicken nuggets with little desire to try new foods and different textures.
ASD children may like the feeling of softer foods, such as yogurt, while harder or crunchy foods may feel difficult or even painful to eat. According to the study cited above, autistic children most commonly like chicken nuggets and grain products, such as pasta and bread.