Aspergers and weight?

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Does aspergers cause weight problems like being too thin etc.....?

Yes. Asperger's and weight are definitely linked. If you have AS, then you will definitely be obese, anorexic, or something in between.

Why does AS cause weight issues?

People with Asperger's often have strong sensitivities to the way some foods taste, smell or feel. Or at least that's what I've heard because I don't find I'm really any more fussy than most other people, although I can hardly stand fruits and veggies that are sour, bitter, cardboardy, bruised, seedy, bug-infested, overripe, underripe, stringy, mushy, dry, and not served in a pie or pastry. But I am fat probably because of genetics and the fact I don't exercise enough. I sweat so easily (this even happened during the ten minutes I was actually thin several years ago) it's a wonder I don't die from electrolyte loss from just sleeping when it's warm out, and I doubt even a pro hypnotist could brainwash me into thinking that grueling away for at least an hour every single day is FUN and not painful, uncomfortable, boring, and rarely worth the effort!

Last edited by lostonearth35 on 18 Sep 2012, 3:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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So basicly, what you said is if you've AS your just like every one else . I mean Obese, Anorexic or something in between. . . Eh Every one is either Obese, Anorexic or something in between. Kinda hard not to be one of the three.

BINGO!! ! That is exactly my point, and you are very astute to have picked up on it!

There is no more of a connection between being an Aspie and having weight problems than there is between being an Entie and having weight problems.

Although, if anyone should find valid empirical evidence (e.g., peer-reviewed medical studies) to the contrary, I'd be happy to change my position.

He made a joke.

Nothing really scientific about Aspergers and weight problems, and from what I've seen, weight seems to be about the same for Aspergers people and NTs. However, low muscle tone could be an issue for people with Aspergers, and that's in a few studies/diagnostic criteria (I believe even the original Hans Aspergers studies took note of it.)

Also, I think personally, people with Aspergers (at least I am) are VERY nutritionally sensitive, and without the right vitamins, minerals, and carb/fat/protein ratios in the diet, ill health comes quicker, whereas I guess many "NTs" are adapted to crap industrial food. I felt best when I was a kid, where I'd get a good dose of multivitamins, minerals, and fish oil tablets, (usually 3-4 pills, six pills was an adult dose) and good mostly organic food cooked mostly from scratch. Good weight, good mental power, was more outgoing, etc. Then after the divorce, my mother didn't know how to cook, and would just give us processed food and I ballooned up and got what others called "depressed" and stuff like that. As far as weight goes, obviously it'd have an effect if you're just more sensitive to crap food. I've found I gain weight fairly easy eating processed food, and can eat damned near as much food as I can stuff my face with, if it's natural home cooked food and not gain weight.

And it's not just the texture pickiness that gets us in trouble, but I think I have some food sensitivities too (and we know how common those are for us spectrumites). Then there's the mentality as a kid, if your family is on a poor budget (I was one of 4 kids in my family and we didn't grow up having a lot of money), then you eat more poor quality food, if eating makes you feel like sh*t, you're not going to want to eat. Like, there are a lot of things that seem to set me off. If I eat too many refined enriched grains, my abdomen makes slurping sounds for hours and I get horrid ass-ripping constipation. I have unfond memories as a child, of my mom feeding me laxatives, stuffing suppositories up my ass, having me drink grape juice, prune juice even drinking it while sitting on the toilet, guzzling metamucil, using enemas, you name it, I tried it. Even funnier, fortified insoluble fiber makes me s**t myself. This is why you won't find me eating wheaties or any other breakfast cereal that advertises fiber fortification on the label. I also can't do hamburger helper (which was fed to me many times a week growing up because it's so cheap). It also gives me diarrhea, as well as some foods that are heavy on the msg. I generally avoid hfcs. It makes me cramp and fart badly. With that said, I distance myself from enriched, fortified cheap mutant white bread. I have a preference for "health nut" by orrowheat, it doesn't bother me. Now, when it comes to milk, low fat dairy does some times make my stomach hurt, so I don't go low-fat, I drink whole milk and I'm fine with it as long as I'm not having tons and tons of it. And dyes (like red 40) make me fly up to the ceiling and lose my attention span. and I don't know what they put in cake frosting either, but I usually knock it off, as it makes my lips and tongue tingle and go numb like the start of an allergic reaction (I'm also allergic to sour patch kids candy something fierce for whatever that means, prepackaged toaster strudel also made my mouth swell so I got rid of it as well).

Over time, me not wanting to eat as a kid (from food making me feel bad), perfectionistic tendencies (to attempt to measure up to being good enough by my parents NT standards prior to my diagnosis), stimulant adhd medicine I was put on from age 10 to 21 (from being diagnosed as adhd at age 10), having 3 overachieving competitive sisters egging you on, trying to find a way to cope for being severely bullied at school (when you're starved numb past a certain point, you can't be bothered to give two f*cks, and especially about the emotional baggage your parents can't handle dealing with so you just stuff it under your hunger). And what do you get? a recipe for anorexia. bf had an intervention with me and I got help when I was 20. Did it start out like anorexia nervosa? No. But it certainly ended up that way.

Today I am a healthy woman, weighing in afaik the last few times I've been told around 105 lbs. Which makes sense in the context of my small frame and my height of 5'2". It's just the weight my body likes to "stick" at, as I've been the same size for a number of years. And digestively, I certainly feel so much better now too.

As for other aspies, the two I am friends with currently, one seems to have a metabolic type of disorder of some kind. He is overweight, diabetic too and he's trying to figure out what is wrong with him (eating makes him feel awful many times, he has lots of health issues, even the littlest of things spike his blood sugar more than it ever should). The other is very thin, with what seems to be low muscle tone, and he actually can't eat some things because he's actually had to have part of his bowel removed. Safe to say that neither of them are really typical in that regard.

I forgot to eat, to the point of being 20lbs underweight when I was young. Not sure if it has to do with Autism, but I don't have any other explanation. There was always food around mostly tasty unhealthy food one would enjoy eating for awhile... so IDK.

I usually forgot to eat well into the afternoon... and then compensate by overeating. The problem emerging is that it had actually become a habit/routine and I have problems going back to a normal eating rhythm.
I was a little underweight as a child and aware that I started to eat pretty unhealthy in my early teens. A lot of problems problems with family, friends, bullies and depression were playing havoc with my life back then and... yes, it was comforting. I'm now making sure that whenever I eat it's not for comfort since I know that it's extremely unhealthy and what leads people into serious eating disorders.
Today, I'm somewhat overweight (yet far away from being obese) since a couple of years and know I'm also consuming too much sugar and should work out more. I improved my eating habits a little bit (in respects of consuming less coke and drinking almost exclusively water now) but I know that my diet as it is right now could still cause me serious health issues such as diabetis sooner or later on in my life.

There might be something linked between Asperger's and weight. I certainly believe so.

I've always had issues with my weight, don't know if its directly linked to aspergers though. I was obese and now i've lost 80 pounds and I feel unhealthy. I think I might just have an eating disorder because I still eat almost as much as I did when I was obese, I've just started exersizing and i cut sodas from my diet. 80 was a lot to lose in a year in a half

We tend to be picky eaters. I'm very picky but I'm slowly getting better. We are less apt to exercise; some of us have problems with coordination, have sensory issues with heat or humidity or don't like the feel of sweat, we have problems dealing with other people so team sports or anything that involves a group are things we tend to avoid. We tend to have more mental issues; stress & depression affect how we eat & they can weight as well even if eating is the same, mental meds can affect metabolism or weight or how hungry we feel.

I was always at least overweight, and was obese for 7+ years, until I took a prescription weight loss medication,
but I continue to have to keep my calories <500 a day (if I bike).
I'm looking now into pursuing thyroid treatment.

There are many factors that can lead to weight issues for people on or off the autism spectrum.
One lady in here mentioned that poor eating habits based off budget spending in a family plays a key role. So does senstivity to tastes, textures and others as well. The unwanting to exercise also plays a role and so does any addictions or habits formed along the way.
Another key thing to remember is the side effects of any prescription medication you might be on. Considering I used to be overweight, I have refused to take medication that may have the weight gain as a potential side effect, or may alter my appetite.

Yeah, I have pretty strong commitments to healthy eating, if not vigorous regular exercise.

It's not that I don't exercise, it's just that commitment isn't a matter of immediate action.

I have to make time to walk, work out, walk back home,etc.
I don't just do a set of burpees, pushups, situps, and weightless squats, I do some serious sh!t.
eating healthy? You choose what goes in your mouth.