Diet, Activity and Obesity in Children with Autism

描述（由申请人提供）：鉴于肥胖症的高患病率和日益增长的患病率，肥胖症已成为儿童的一个重大健康问题。虽然正在做出重大努力来理解和治疗普通人群中的这个问题，但在这方面为自闭症儿童等特殊人群做的工作很少。人们普遍认为肥胖是能量不平衡的结果，然而，与自闭症儿童肥胖相关的因素可能与他们通常发育的同龄人不同。这一人群中肥胖症的持续存在意义重大，因为管理相关医疗后果的要求可能会限制个人在社区中独立生活的选择。我们的初步研究表明，发育障碍儿童患肥胖症的风险与发育正常儿童相同。自闭症儿童似乎代表了一个独特的群体，其非典型的饮食模式，由于社交或娱乐限制而减少的体育活动机会可能与肥胖的发展有关。我们建议进行一项新的探索性研究，以了解与自闭症儿童肥胖相关的危险因素。这项研究的目的是确定自闭症儿童的肥胖是否与高水平的食物选择性和体力活动水平降低有关。我们将招募60名自闭症儿童和同等数量的正常发育儿童。将测量体重和身高，以确定体重指数（BMI）。我们将食物选择性分类定义为食物厌恶，限制饮食模式和单一过量食物摄入，并将确定自闭症儿童的食物选择性是否大于正常发育儿童。我们将探讨食物的感官因素和特征（例如，温度、颜色、质地和气味），这些可能与食物选择性相关。我们还将确定自闭症儿童从事的体育活动的类型和数量以及久坐行为所花费的时间。这项拟议中的研究将为我们设计一项纵向研究提供必要的数据，以确定导致自闭症儿童肥胖的因素。更好地了解这些因素有可能为自闭症儿童当前的临床实践和未来的健康促进工作提供信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Obesity has become a significant health concern in children, given its high and increasing prevalence. While significant efforts are underway to understand and treat this problem in the general population, little work has been done in this area for special populations such as children with autism. It is well accepted that obesity is the result of an energy imbalance, however, factors that are associated with obesity in children with autism may be different than those of their typically developing peers. The implications of the persistence of obesity in this population are significant, as the demands of managing the associated medical consequences would likely limit individuals' choices for independent living in the community. Our preliminary studies suggest that children with developmental disabilities are at the same risk for obesity than typically developing (normal) children. Children with autism appear to represent a unique group whose atypical eating patterns, reduced opportunities for physical activity due to social or recreational limitations may be associated with the development of obesity. We propose to conduct a novel and exploratory study to understand the risk factors associated with obesity in children with autism. The purpose of this study is to determine whether obesity in children with autism is associated with high levels of food selectivity and decreased levels of physical activity. We will enroll 60 children with autism and an equal number of typically developing children. Body weight and height will be measured to determine body mass index (BMI). We will define food selectivity categorically as food aversion, restricted eating patterns, and single excess food intake and will determine whether food selectivity in children with autism is greater than that of typically developing children. We will explore sensory factors and characteristics of food (e.g., temperature, color, texture, and smell) that may be associated with food selectivity. We will also determine the types and amounts of physical activity that children with autism engage in and the time spent in sedentary behavior. The proposed study will provide us with the necessary data to design a longitudinal study to determine the factors that lead to obesity in children with autism. A better understanding of these factors has the potential to inform current clinical practice and future health promotion efforts in children with autism.