While obesity affects about 9.9% of children in the US, 16.4% children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) or IDD (Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities) experience obesity (Pona et al, 2017). Adults with ASD are, because of this, much more likely than neurotypical adults to experience cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain cancers (Curtin et. al, 2020). Many physicians are not well equipped to assist neurodivergent individuals with weight loss due to specific barriers this patient population faces, such as weight related side effects of medications, executive function issues with exercise, and difficulty altering schedules (Foster et. al, 2021). In fact, only 5.5% of pediatricians felt that they possess the training to adequately address weight concerns for neurodivergent patients, and pediatricians were less likely to consider lack of access to healthy food as a concern for these patients (Curtin et. al, 2020). Fortunately, with growing awareness of and increasing research regarding the relationship between obesity and IDD, physicians hope to find ways to address weight issues in this patient population, taking into account the unique barriers that are present.
Curtin, C., Hyman, S. L., Boas, D. D., Hassink, S., Broder-Fingert, S., Ptomey, L. T., Gillette, M. D., Fleming, R. K., Must, A., & Bandini, L. G. (2020). Weight Management in Primary Care for Children With Autism: Expert Recommendations. Pediatrics, 145(Supplement 1), S126–S139. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-1895p
Foster, B. A., Reynolds, K., Callejo-Black, A., Polensek, N., & Weill, B. C. (2021). Weight outcomes in children with developmental disabilities from a multidisciplinary clinic. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 108, 103809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103809
Pona, A. A., Dreyer Gillette, M. L., Odar Stough, C., Gerling, J. K., & Sweeney, B. R. (2017).
Long-Term Outcomes of a Multidisciplinary Weight Management Intervention for Youth
with Disabilities. Childhood Obesity, 13(6), 455–461. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2016.0334
Obesity has become a large issue in our country resulting in various diseases and health concerns. However, it is a greater concern for individuals who lack proper neural function. I found a recent study on weight management of adults with intellectual difficulties to be very interesting. This study was conducted by measuring weight loss due to behavioral changes as well as parent intervention. It was found that individuals who routinely kept up with the behavioral suggestions with parent involvement lost 5-10 kg of initial body weight. In comparison, those who did not have a parent to reward individuals for adhering to changes resulting in a significantly less weight loss of 2.5 kg. This study is a great stepping stool to encourage parents with intellectual disabled children to intervene in their child's health. Involvement of parents does create a significant difference in the health of their children.
ReplyDeleteSpanos, D., Melville, C.A. & Hankey, C.R. Weight management interventions in adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity: a systematic review of the evidence. Nutr J 12, 132 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-2891-12-132