Obesity and obesity-related secondary conditions in adolescents with intellectual/developmental disabilities.
Obesity hits teens with IDD two to three times harder and brings extra health trouble, but community programs can turn the tide.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Doughty et al. (2010) sent surveys to parents and doctors. They asked about weight and health in teens with autism, Down syndrome, or other delays.
The team compared these teens to same-age peers without disabilities.
What they found
Teens with IDD were two to three times more likely to be obese.
They also carried more health problems tied to extra weight, like high blood pressure or sleep issues.
How this fits with other research
Yamaki et al. (2011) asked the same questions one year later and got the same answer: overweight teens with disabilities rack up extra chronic conditions.
Yuan et al. (2021) moved the survey to China and still found about one-third of students with ID overweight or obese, proving the problem is global.
Heller et al. (2011) looked for fixes. Their review shows community exercise plus nutrition classes can trim weight and boost mood in adults with ID, giving hope the teen numbers can drop.
Why it matters
You now know the teen in front of you is already at high risk. Start with a quick BMI check at intake. Add fun movement breaks and simple food labels during sessions. These small steps can stop later heart disease and sleep problems shown in de Leeuw et al. (2024) and Takahashi et al. (2023).
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
BACKGROUND: To explore the prevalence of obesity and related secondary conditions associated with obesity in adolescents with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD). METHODS: In total, 461 parents of adolescents with IDD (M = 14.9 year, SD = 1.9) across 49 US states completed a web-based survey containing questions related to their child's health status, including body weight and existing health conditions. Results were compared with published data for youth without disabilities. RESULTS: Adolescents with autism and Down syndrome were two to three times more likely to be obese than adolescents in the general population. Secondary health conditions were higher in obese adolescents with IDD compared with healthy weight adolescents with IDD including high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, depression, fatigue, liver or gallbladder problems, low self-esteem, preoccupation with weight, early maturation and pressure sores. CONCLUSION: Obesity is as much of a health problem in youth with IDD as it is among youth without disabilities and, in certain disability groups, is a significantly greater health problem. Obese youth with IDD have a high number of obesity-related secondary conditions predisposing them to greater health problems as they transition into adulthood. Federal and local initiatives to reduce obesity among youth in the general population must recognise the need for interventions that are also relevant (i.e. accessible and effective) for youth with IDD.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 2010 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.2010.01305.x