Prevention and Management of Obesity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Primary Care Pediatricians

Walls, Morgan; Broder‐Fingert, Sarabeth; Feinberg, Emily; Drainoni, Mari-Lynn; Bair-Merritt, Megan

doi:10.1007/s10803-018-3494-0

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 39 publications

(54 reference statements)

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“…18,19 In addition, a relationship has been observed between pharmacological therapies, disordered sleep and weight gain in individuals with the disorder. 20 In individuals with ASD, being overweight and obese, in addition to constituting a risk factor for cardiovascular disorders, may contribute to the worsening of social isolation, due to the individual and also society's lack of acceptance of their body image. 21 It is worth noting that the present study also points to an expressive consumption of ultra-processed foods, which the healthy eating guide advises against for the Brazilian population.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Excess Weight and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in a Group of Autistic Children

Silva

Santos

Silva

2020

Rev. paul. pediatr.

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Objective: To evaluate the nutritional status and gastrointestinal changes in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: Cross-sectional, descriptive analysis of 39 children with ASD aged between three and ten years old, registered in the participating association. Nutritional status was evaluated by body mass index/age and weight/age, according to the guidelines from the World Health Organization. In order to investigate whether gastrointestinal alterations occurred, the interviewees answered a questionnaire about the presence of these symptoms within the last 30 days. In order to evaluate food consumption, a 24-hour recall questionnaire was applied and the food reported were grouped as: gluten sources, casein and ultra-processed sources. For the statistical analysis, Epi-Info software version 7.2 was used. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the variables associated with gastrointestinal alterations. Results: There was a high prevalence of overweight children with autism spectrum disorder (64.1%). No child was underweight. Thirty-four children (84.2%) had gastrointestinal symptoms. Consumption of gluten was associated with gastrointestinal symptoms (β=0.38; 95%CI 0.07-0.75; p=0.02). Conclusions: The high prevalence of being overweight should be considered during the follow-up visits of children with ASD. The influence of gluten consumption on the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms was observed in this study, and the causes involved in these alterations need to be further investigated.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Excess Weight and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in a Group of Autistic Children

Silva

Santos

Silva

2020

Rev. paul. pediatr.

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“…The extant research on weight management, body weight, and body image among autistic adults is incomplete. These topics are, however, increasingly studied in children with ASD, their parents, and health care providers (Jachyra et al, 2018;Mcpherson et al, 2021;Walls et al, 2018). Findings from these studies provide critical information on how health services and supports might be best tailored to meet the needs of children with ASD.…”

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confidence: 99%

“This cage that I’m stuck inside”: Autistic adults’ perceptions of weight management, body weight, and body image

Healy

Pacanowski

Kennedy

et al. 2021

Autism

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Personal beliefs and attitudes about body weight and body image are important determinants of weight management practices. To inform efforts to prevent and treat obesity among autistic adults, this study examined how autistic adults perceive weight management, body weight, and body image. Eleven adults participated in semi-structured interviews. Consistent with an interpretive paradigm, an interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology was employed, resulting in four themes: (a) Mental and physical health: direct and indirect interactions, (b) ASD traits and health-related behaviors, (c) Body dissatisfaction: Unrealistic ideals and misperceptions, and (d) Sources of information. This study’s findings have several implications for research and practice. First, participants viewed overweight and obesity as just one component of a holistic perspective of health. A dynamic, bidirectional relationship between mental health and physical health, including overweight/obesity was described, leading us to posit that the promotion of mental health is crucial for the promotion of overall health among autistic adults. Second, body dissatisfaction was pervasive among participants in this sample. This finding requires future research as it may be an important target for intervention, with relevance for mental health and weight management practices. Finally, interactions with medical professionals regarding weight management were perceived to be inadequate. Lay abstract Our beliefs and feelings about our bodies and our body weight influence our weight management behaviors, such as physical activity and eating behaviors. These beliefs and feelings are largely shaped by how we interact with, and compare ourselves to, people in our lives. Due to the social traits associated with autism, autistic adults may have different perceptions of body weight, body image, and weight management than neurotypical adults. To explore this, for the first time, we interviewed 11 autistic adults. The participants’ perceptions can be summarized in four findings. First, the participants viewed overweight and obesity as just one part of their overall health. Participants described how their mental health and physical health, including overweight/obesity, were closely connected. Second, some traits related to autism made weight management difficult; for example, eating and physical activity were negatively impacted by social anxiety, sensory sensitivity, obsessiveness, and a strong desire for routine. Third, participants were generally dissatisfied with how they looked. This was primarily due to a disconnect between how they felt their body looked and how it actually looked in real life. Other people, including on social media, also negatively influenced how they perceived themselves. Fourth, and finally, participants described how they got most of their weight management-related information online. Medical professionals were frequently described as being unprepared to provide them assistance related to weight management.

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“…Research has identified many barriers to HCPs discussing weight with typically developing children and their families, including a lack of training, confidence, time, and resources [46,47]. ASD adds an additional layer that makes this even more challenging [48], especially when parents are overwhelmed with managing their child's health and behaviour [11]. Furthermore, previous research has shown that HCPs who prescribe antipsychotic medication to children with ASD to manage upsetting behaviours (e.g., self-harm, violence towards others) experience some moral distress when the medication causes rapid weight gain and they lack the expertise to address it [11].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%