According to the National Library of Medicine, children with ASD are at risk for obesity at the same or higher rate than children generally, and thus this issue warrants both research and clinical attention because of the adverse health effects known to be associated with obesity.

Overweight and obesity are generally recognized as the presence of excess body fat. Youth who are considered to be overweight have a BMI-for age that is greater than or equal to the 85^th percentile, and those who would be classified as obese have a BMI-for-age at or above the 95^th percentile.

In a study of 20,013 children (6-17 years) with intellectual disability attending special schools, 413 of whom had autism, reported an obesity prevalence of 22% in boys and 11% in girls with autism.

Read more: Reference of https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4105159/

Published in final edited form as:

Harv Rev Psychiatry. 2014 Mar-Apr; 22(2): 93–103.

For kids with ASD, studies show that vigorous activity for more than 20 minutes can help decrease stereotypical behaviors, hyperactivity, and aggression. Exercise not only helps better engage in the environment due to social skill development, but it also helps promote weight loss and leads to better overall health. Regular exercise has also been known to minimize stimming in most kids with ASD.

To help your child get the right balance of these important nutrients, try adding these foods to their diet with the help of their treatment team:

Peanuts and peanut butter - Sunflower seeds - Eggs - Seafood - Chia seeds - Soy milk - Almonds and Almond Milk - Dried Figs and Apricots - Edamame - Cruciferous vegetables like Kale and Broccoli - Spinach - Fortified breakfast cereal - Lentils - Dark chocolate, as an occasional sweet treat - Lean beef, Turkey, and Chicken - Chickpeas - Oatmeal - Green Peas Mango - Melons like Cantaloupe - Tomatoes and Tomato juice - Carrots - Sweet Red Pepper - Pumpkin - Citrus like Oranges and Grapefruit - Mushrooms - Beet greens - Butternut Squash - Avocado - Rice - Onions and garlic - Beans like Navy beans, Pinto beans, and Black beans