Eating Problems in Men and Women with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.
Adults with autism—women in particular—carry much higher eating-disorder risk, so screen every client.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Mulder et al. (2020) asked adults with and without autism about eating habits.
They used a survey to see if ASD adults report more eating problems.
Women and men with autism were compared to neurotypical peers.
What they found
Adults with autism, especially women, showed more eating-disorder signs.
The gap was large compared to same-age peers without ASD.
Findings echo earlier teen data from Kalyva (2009).
How this fits with other research
Kalyva (2009) saw the same pattern in teens: girls with Asperger’s scored higher on eating-risk tests.
Bøttcher et al. (2013) gave us the SWEAA, a self-report tool that later surveys like this one could use.
Simeon et al. (2025) scoping review says most feeding treatments for ASD are tiny and messy—so while we now know eating issues are common, we still don’t know what works.
Milane et al. (2025) show BAMBI and BPFAS are the most used and reliable eating measures in autism; if you screen, use one of these.
Why it matters
Add two quick eating questions to your intake for every adult with ASD. If the client is female, probe deeper and offer referral. You will catch hidden disorders earlier and link clients to help before medical risk grows.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The presence of eating problems was assessed in 53 males and 36 females with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with and without housing and residential support. The results were compared to a neurotypical group of 30 men and 38 women. The results indicate that men and especially women with ASD experience various eating problems. Women with ASD also recognized symptoms of an eating disorder. Hence, it is important to be aware of eating problems and symptoms of an eating disorder in adults with ASD, to ensure they receive the care they need.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2020 · doi:10.1007/s10803-019-03931-3