Body mass index, dietary intake and feeding problems of Turkish children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Over half of Turkish kids with autism in rehab are overweight and missing key vitamins—screen BMI and diet at intake.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Researchers weighed and measured 82 Turkish kids with autism who attended rehab centers.
Parents filled out a food diary and a feeding-problem checklist.
The team compared the kids' BMI and nutrient intake to Turkish growth charts.
What they found
Fifty-eight percent of the kids were overweight or obese.
Eleven percent were underweight.
Most children lacked calcium, zinc, vitamin B6, and folate.
Food selectivity was the top feeding issue parents reported.
How this fits with other research
Xiong et al. (2009) saw similar high weight in Chinese kids with autism, giving the same warning.
Amore et al. (2011) showed you can fix picky eating with ABA feeding plans, proving the problem is treatable.
Wang et al. (2025) later added that more screen time and poor sleep make picky eating worse.
Moorthy et al. (2022) found these kids also have worse oral hygiene, so diet issues spill into dental care.
Why it matters
Start every intake by weighing the child and asking about food refusals.
A simple diet log for three days will spot the missing vitamins.
If selectivity shows up, move straight to a function-based feeding plan.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The body mass index of 164 children (aged 4-18 years) attending four autism rehabilitation centers in Istanbul, Turkey, was determined and assessed using the BMI-for-age percentile charts by the World Health Organization (WHO). The mean intake of energy and nutrients of 115 children were calculated using three-day food records. The feeding assessment surveys filled in by the parents/caregivers indicated that the major feeding problem among children was food selectivity. The majority of the children were overweight or obese (58.5%). A total of 11% of children were found to be severely thin and thin. The calcium, zinc, vitamin B6 and folate intake of the majority of children were inadequate. The salt consumption in all age groups and cholesterol intake in normal, overweight and obese children were high.
Research in developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1016/j.ridd.2013.08.024