Objective: Overweight and obesity are increasingly prevalent in the general pediatric population. Evidence suggests that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) may be at elevated risk for unhealthy weight. We identify the prevalence of overweight and obesity in a multisite clinical sample of children with ASDs and explore concurrent associations with variables identified as risk factors for unhealthy weight in the general population.
Methods: Participants were 5053 children with confirmed diagnosis of ASD in the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network. Measured values for weight and height were used to calculate BMI percentiles; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for BMI for gender and age were used to define overweight and obesity (≥85th and ≥95th percentiles, respectively).
Results: In children age 2 to 17 years, 33.6% were overweight and 18% were obese. Compared with a general US population sample, rates of unhealthy weight were significantly higher among children with ASDs ages 2 to 5 years and among those of non-Hispanic white origin. Multivariate analyses revealed that older age, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, lower parent education levels, and sleep and affective problems were all significant predictors of obesity.
Conclusions: Our results indicate that the prevalence of unhealthy weight is significantly greater among children with ASD compared with the general population, with differences present as early as ages 2 to 5 years. Because obesity is more prevalent among older children in the general population, these findings raise the question of whether there are different trajectories of weight gain among children with ASDs, possibly beginning in early childhood.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4657601 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-1437 | DOI Listing |
BMC Med Genomics
January 2025
Department of Community Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
Background: The growth in obesity and rates of abdominal obesity in developing countries is due to the dietary transition, meaning a shift from traditional, fiber-rich diets to Westernized diets high in processed foods, sugars, and unhealthy fats. Environmental changes, such as improving the quality of dietary fat consumed, may be useful in preventing or mitigating the obesity or unhealthy obesity phenotype in individuals with a genetic predisposition, although this has not yet been confirmed. Therefore, in this study, we investigated how dietary fat quality indices with metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) or metabolically unhealthy obesity (MUO) based on the Karelis criterion interact with genetic susceptibility in Iranian female adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCrit Pathw Cardiol
January 2025
Internal Medicine Department, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Alhasa, Saudi Arabia.
Introduction: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the principal cause of worldwide mortality, with 17.9 million deaths reported in 2019. In Saudi Arabia, CVDs account for 42% of all deaths, occurring on average 10 years earlier than in Western populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDiabetes Metab Syndr Obes
January 2025
Physical Examination Center, Hebei General Hospital, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, People's Republic of China.
Objective: To investigate the relationship between triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), and to evaluate the predictive value of the TyG index for MAFLD in individuals with different metabolic obese phenotypes. The aim is to provide a novel approach for the screening and early diagnosis of MAFLD in the general population.
Methods: A total of 2614 subjects were recruited and classified into four categories of metabolic obese phenotypes based on their body mass index (BMI) and metabolic status.
BMC Prim Care
January 2025
Department of General Practice, University of Western Brittany, 22, Av. Camille Desmoulins, FR 29238, Brest, France.
Background: Unhealthy behaviours contributing to cardiovascular issues, diabetes, strokes, and cancer, pose significant health risks. General practitioners (GPs) are pivotal in guiding behaviour change, with Motivational Interviewing (MI) showing promise. MI, developed by William Miller and Stephen Rollnick, aims to enhance motivation for change.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCent Eur J Public Health
December 2024
Institute of Hygiene, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovak Republic.
Objectives: An unhealthy lifestyle, inappropriate eating habits, and inadequate physical activity are the most common risk factors affecting health and causing the premature onset of non-communicable diseases. The study aimed to evaluate lifestyle factors, eating habits, and daily regimens in a sample of Slovak adolescents.
Methods: The sample involves 524 students aged 15-22 years attending selected secondary schools from the model region of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia.
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!