In conclusion, food obsession is a common issue in individuals with autism. While the exact cause is unknown, it is likely related to sensory processing issues, anxiety, and gastrointestinal problems.
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.
Hoarding and self-injurious behaviors are relatively common in autism, but knowledge about their expressions in adulthood is scarce.
Many autistic people have intense and highly-focused interests, often from a fairly young age. These can change over time or be lifelong. It can be art, music, gardening, animals, postcodes or numbers. For many younger children it's Thomas the Tank Engine, dinosaurs or particular cartoon characters.
Types of feeding problems associated with autism
The feeding concern most commonly observed in children with autism is food selectivity, or eating a limited variety of foods. This most often involves preference for starches and snack foods and more frequent rejection of fruits and vegetables.
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.
Individuals with autism often struggle with anxiety, and food may be a source of comfort for them. Eating certain foods may provide a sense of control and predictability in an otherwise unpredictable world. It is also possible that food obsession is related to gastrointestinal issues.
Fixations or Intense Interests. Most common in high-functioning people with autism, fixations often manifest as intense focus surrounding a certain topic or area of interest. For example, a person with autism may obsessively practice a particular skill, or may read every book and article written about a certain subject ...
Every autistic person is different, but sensory differences, changes in routine, anxiety, and communication difficulties are common triggers.
Rumination. A less common but equally serious type of disordered eating for children with ASD is food rumination. This condition causes people with autism to regurgitate and rechew their partially digested food – sometimes over and over again.
Sensory issues with food: Kids on the autism spectrum often express a strong preference for foods that feel a certain way in their mouths. Some prefer soft or creamy foods like yogurt, soup or ice cream; others need the stimulation that crunchy foods like Cheetos or — if a parent is lucky, carrots — provide.
Considering these aspects, ASD has been associated with eating-related atypicality, such as food neophobia (FN). FN is characterized by the difficulty of trying novel foods that can potentially impair diet quality and health [4,5].
If you or a loved one has ASD, paying close attention to the foods being consumed is particularly important. For our patients with autism, we often recommend an elimination diet—eliminating gluten, dairy, sugar, corn, soy, and other categories of potentially allergenic foods for one month.
Sometimes it's normal for your child or teen to eat more than usual. He or she may do so—and put on some extra weight—right before a growth spurt in height. This type of weight usually passes quickly as your child continues to grow.
Eating together with other people is a common activity to socialize and feel a sense of belonging. But autistic adults often prefer to eat alone, though they have a desire to socialize.
Genetics. Genetic factors may be the most significant cause of autism. Early studies of twins had estimated heritability to be over 90%, meaning that genetics explains over 90% of whether a child will develop autism.
People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention. It is important to note that some people without ASD might also have some of these symptoms.
Does The Father Or Mother Carry The Autism Gene? Autism was always thought to have a maternal inheritance component, however, research suggests that the rarer variants associated with the disorder are usually inherited from the father.
Some people might term such fixated interests as “obsessions”. These can vary greatly. Some have a love for trains and train tracks, able to sit for a long time just watching videos of trains running on tracks. Others have a fondness for words, fonts, and characters.
Repetitive behaviours are part of being autistic and should not be misunderstood as a sign that you may have OCD. The similarities between autistic traits and OCD symptoms can make it difficult to know which is a result of OCD and which is a part of being autistic.
Though autistic people may respond to emotions and social cues differently than neurotypical people, this does not mean they lack empathy. Just like neurotypical people, levels of empathy vary between autistic individuals.
Most of the time, you'll find compulsive eating has nothing to do with hunger. It's a habit kids—and adults—develop to ease stress, depression, anxiety or even boredom.
Provide alternative activities: If your child is fixated on a particular topic, try to find other activities that relate to that topic. For example, if they love trains, take them to a train museum or build a model train set together. This can help broaden their interests and reduce the intensity of their obsession.
Many autistic people struggle with interoception. This means that they have a difficult time feeling and interpreting their body's signals. This connects with disordered eating behavior because it means they may miss their body's cues that they are hungry or full.