Prevalence of Obesity in Young Children with ASDs (Research Paper Sample)

Prevalence of Obesity in Young Children with ASDs (ASD)
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Prevalence of Obesity in Young Children with ASDs
Introduction
The information presented in this paper is influenced by the need to identify cases of overweight and obesity in young children with ASDs (ASD). Curtin, Jojic & Bandini (2014) conducted a comprehensive research where about 300 young children with ASDs were reviewed. In addition, previous researches that relate to prevalence of obesity in young children with ASDs were also reviewed. The research suggested that the commonness of overweight or rather obesity in children with ASDs was high compared to typically developing children. 17.6% of children with autistic disorder had a body mass index (BMI) in the overweight range. On the same, about 21.89% had a BMI percentile in the obese range (Curtin, Jojic & Bandini, 2014).
According to the research, various causes of overweight and obesity related to the specific challenges and needs children with ASDs are faced in many communities. Several needs and challenges that relate to genetics, psychopharmacological treatment, eating patterns, disordered sleep, and great challenges in participating in sufficient physical activities by young children with ASDs have exposed to high risks of gaining excessive weights leading to obesity.
Current Diagnostic and Assessment Procedures in Identifying these Conditions and their Current Application
In order to cut down the prevalence of obesity in children that is as a result of ASDs, one ought to first seek to understand some important factors that relate to autism disorders (Egan et al., 2013). It is of extreme importance to comprehensively understand the causes, assessment and diagnostic procedures that can be implemented to reduce cases of autism disorders in young children, hence reducing instances that would lead to obesity. Generally, it would appear difficult to solve a problem which you do not actually know its cause (Kral, Eriksen, Souders & Pinto-Martin, 2013).
Causes of ASDs in Young Children
Environmental factors: In this case, researchers try to argue that every person is born vulnerable to contract ASDs, but the condition develops only if one gets exposed to particular environmental factors that trigger the disorder. Egan et al. (2013) mentioned that premature birth that happens when one is born before 35 weeks of pregnancy, exposure to alcohol and cigarette smoking, poor medications such as valproate that is used to treat epilepsy during pregnancy are some of the environmental factors that can lead to ASDs.
Genetic factors: Several genes that a child inherits from their parents, relatives and family members can lead to ASDs. Evans et al. (2012) asserted that a lot of children who were victims of autism disorders had a family member who had a similar disorder. For instance, younger children with ASDs have high chances of developing the condition themselves, and it was likely that identical twins were both affected by the condition (Memari et al., 2012). Although there is no precise gene that has already been identified to cause ASDs, researchers have it that a disorder affecting a child can be found to have a root cause from one of his or her family members (Kral, Eriksen, Souders & Pinto-Martin, 2013).
Psychological factors: The way ASDs relate to psychology is seen from a concept based on the child’s ability to understand other individual’s minds. According to Suarez, Nelson & Curtis (2014), psychologists argue that the ability to comprehend others mental states, recognizing that different people have different emotions, intensions and capability as well as understanding that each person has different beliefs, emotions, likes and dislikes contributes greatly to a child brain growth (Kim & Leventhal, 2015). Also, Curtin, Jojic & Bandini (2014) mentioned that it is believed that a lot of children who does not have ASDs have complete understanding about other people’s mind as early as four years. On the other hand, children who become victims of ASDs have limited understanding or even no understanding at all another people’s mind.
Neurological factors: There is a close connection between the nervous system and the brain. A lot of medical researches that were carried regarding nerves suggested that the connection between the cerebral cortex part of the brain and the limbic system part of the nerves may have become over connected or scrambled (Egan et al., 2013). For this reason, this argument may explain the reason as to why many children, who are victims of ASDs, are intrigued by topics and activities that other children may find very boring and less engaging. Additionally, Evans et al. (2012) mentioned that young children with autism disorders are highly emotional and get irritated and upset often. As a result, they become less interactive and less talkative.
Relationship between ASDs and Obesity
Egan et al. (2013) asserted that understanding various causes of ASDs in young children was essential in establishing how the same leads to obesity. It is important to remember that ASDs is a condition where by the affected individual has problems during social interactions, communication, behaviors, and interests. One of the main causes of obesity is environmental factors that are defined by social factors. Memari et al. (2012) mentioned that the environment, in which most people are living in today, does not support healthy lifestyle. It is for the fact that a lot of people do not put sufficient time aside to participate in exercises. Instead, they are busy working the whole day and night.
In the event where ASDs is mentioned, one can still argue that the victims of this condition are very dormant. It is very hard for a child suffering from ASDs to be actively involved in exercises, such as child play, moving around the house or even make his or her body parts move (Kim & Leventhal, 2015). The argument explains one reason as to why many children with ASDs are at a high risk of contracting obesity.
Now, studies show that many young children with autism disorders have problems in communication and interaction with other members of society; it is, therefore, very evident that such children are a subject to loneliness that would lead to a lot of stress (Evans et al., 2012). Stress is just another factor that is known to cause obesity. Quite a large number of people, who were seen to have developed obesity, spent most of their time lonely (Egan et al., 2012). Their ability to interact with others was poor, thus, resulting into a lonely life. For this reason, they ate a lot more often and remained dormant some reasons that could have contributed to gaining excessive weight leading to obesity (Memari et al., 2012).
According to Curtin, Jojic & Bandini (2014), too much scrambling of nerves that connect to the cerebral part of the brain as discussed earlier in this paper, must significantly have led to obesity. With such a condition, a large part of the brain is rendered inactive. As a result, there is accumulation of fats in most nervous systems that in turn leads to overweight. In addition, when the brain becomes inactive, the affected personnel in this case a young child overall becomes inactive, and his or her interaction with other children becomes poor (Kral, Eriksen, Souders & Pinto-Martin, 2013). In this case, the child slowly develops obesity which becomes more pronounced with time.
Signs and Symptoms
Kim & Leventhal (2015) indicated that ASDs have a wide range of symptoms which can easily be noted when a child is still young. To start with, children with autism disorders appear to have a lot of problems with social interaction and communication. These problems relate to poor understanding of other people in regard to their feelings, emotions, and reasoning. On the same, a child suffering from ASDs is likely to have delayed language development and become very hard for him or her to start conversation or to take part in appropriate conversation with other children (Suarez, Nelson & Curtis, 2014).
Secondly, it has been noted that children who were diagnosed with ASDs had restricted and repetitive patterns of thought, physical, interests, and behaviors. These children were involved in repetitive physical movements, such as hand twisting and tapping. They were also very fond of becoming very upset especially if they were disrupted in making routine hand twisting and tapping (Egan et al., 2013). In addition, the children had learning difficulties while in school, maybe it was contributed by their limited understanding and communication.
Some of the symptoms and signs of obesity that happened because of ASDs include a child starting to gain excessive weight while still at a tender age. A child’s cloths feeling tight and needing a large size every time and again throughout his or her child life can also be a sign of obesity. These children accumulated a lot of fat around their waist. Lastly, obesity can be noted when the child start recording a higher than normal body mass index (BMI) (Suarez, Nelson & Curtis, 2014).
Diagnosing the Condition
Up to date, there is no exact cure that has been identified that can treat ASDs. However, continuous behavior support can help individuals with the condition. It is particularly helpful when one is still young. Apparently, autism signs and symptoms are easily recognized in children just before they reach the age of two or three years (Suarez, Nelson & Curtis, 2014). The signs may, however, become more noticeable as they get older.
Diagnosing with ASDs requires that parents and involved parties, such as relatives and guardians carefully monitor how the child grows. It is as a result of this close monitoring that they can easily identify any possible sign or symp...