Prevalence of overweight and obesity among US youth with autism spectrum disorder.
US autistic teens are about 1.5 times more likely to be obese, and severe autism triples the risk.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Healy et al. (2019) pulled a big national sample of US kids aged 10-17. Half had autism, half were neurotypical.
They compared body-mass-index categories to see how many kids were overweight or obese in each group.
What they found
Teens with autism carried about 1.5 times the odds of being overweight or obese.
When autism symptoms were severe, the obesity odds jumped to roughly triple that of typical peers.
How this fits with other research
Granich et al. (2016) saw the same pattern earlier: one in three US youth with autism was already overweight or obese and mom’s BMI mattered too. Seán’s 2019 data confirm the rate and add the severity twist.
Heald et al. (2020) tracked more than 33,000 teens and also found higher obesity and less physical activity in those with autism, with risk climbing alongside parent-reported severity. The two studies act like conceptual replications, strengthening the signal.
Köse et al. (2021) extends the story to Turkey. They again found high obesity in kids with ASD, but pointed to food reinforcers and psychiatric meds as key drivers. Same problem, new cultural clues on what feeds it.
Why it matters
Expect weight issues in autistic clients as a baseline risk. Start BMI screening early, involve parents, and watch for severity-related jumps. Swap edible reinforcers for non-food rewards, build movement into daily sessions, and coordinate with medical providers before obesity-related illnesses pile on.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine current overweight and obesity prevalence rates among US youth (aged 10-17 years) with and without autism spectrum disorder, based on the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health. Analyses of weight status, derived from parent-reported height and weight measures, were conducted for a weighted sample of 875,963 youth with autism spectrum disorder and 31,913,657 typically developing youth. Controlling for age, race/ethnicity, income, and sex, youth with autism spectrum disorder had significantly higher odds of overweight (odds ratio = 1.48, p = 0.04) and obesity (odds ratio = 1.49, p = 0.02) compared to typically developing youth. Among youth with autism spectrum disorder, 19.4% were overweight and 23.05% were obese. Among typically developing youth, 14.9% were overweight and 15.91% were obese. Higher odds of obesity were reported for youth with severe autism spectrum disorder (odds ratio = 3.35, p < 0.01), compared to those with mild autism spectrum disorder.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2019 · doi:10.1177/1362361318791817