• Replies 13 replies
  • Subscribers 70 subscribers
  • Views 426 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Eating Disorders

kookaburra333

Hi everyone!

My teenager is autistic (not officially diagnosed yet, we’re waiting for the final multidisciplinary appointment). I’m aware that eating challenges often come up in autism, and much of the information I’ve found focuses on skipping meals, avoiding mealtimes or eating very little and suffering deficiencies. Our situation is different and I’ve had trouble finding much information about it, my child is constantly hungry, always asks for food or snacks, and doesn’t feel satisfied with smaller portions. Because of this, they’ve gained a lot of weight, and it’s getting worse. They do  want to lose weight, exercise more and eat healthier, but “eating healthier” is very hard for them because they have a restrictive diet and we’re trying different foods but with limited success. I’d love to hear from anyone who has faced constant hunger or eating a lot (rather than eating too little) in an autistic child or teenager.
What reasons did you find for that?
What strategies helped you?
Are there any good resources, books or support groups you found useful?

Thanks in advance, any shared experience is really helpful.

Parents

  • I would guess it is either:

    1. the physical sensation of eating,
    2. the feeling of being full, or
    3. The body wanting more due the food not being balanced,
    4. Slow digestion.

    Chewing gum or having something for the mouth to.do would help with 1.

    Drinking more would help with 2. A pint of water shortly before a meal makes you feel full sooner. This helps with portion size.

    If a lot of carbs are eaten the body may keep feeling hungry because it is missing nutrients. A multi-vitamin may help, but eating more protein and less carbs will help to prevent hunger. Having a boiled egg with cereal reduces the sugar crash and snacking. I mix whey protein with my milk and cereal and I don't feel hungry for hours.

    Chronic stress raises cortisol which slows the metabolism and promotes fat storage around the waist. Stress also prompted eating higher calories foods. Sleep disruption also affects hormones which affects appetite. Getting good sleep and reducing stress will help, along with a better balanced diet.

    Stress also promotes comfort eating.

    Note that digestion can be slowed by stress and also forgetting to drink enough. Constipation and slow digestive transit is uncomfortable. I tended to overeat to keep my digestion going which was a lot more comfortable, which then requires more exercise to get rid of. I now have bran flakes with an added sprinkle of sultanas for breakfast, I try to limit bread, I have some salad items, and I try to limit starchy root vegetables (carrots, potatoes) by having more broccoli, kale, cabbage, etc.

    Just some things I've noticed about myself.

    I also have a rowing machine as it's kind to joints, but I either use it too much or not at all.

  • in reply to Stuart333

    Thank you so much for your answer! We also have a water rower, but she’s not keen on using it. She has good muscle mass and loves weights, but her exercise isn’t consistent. She drinks plenty of water and takes her vitamins and supplements, but her diet is mostly carbs due to sensory issues, which also makes it challenging to maintain a healthier weight.

  • in reply to kookaburra333

    If it is mostly carbs, then these cause sugar spikes. The body then stores it as it can't use it all at once so you get fat. Once the sugar level drops in your blood you feel hungry again. So you are stuck in a cycle of eating and getting fatter but you can't stop. 

    If you eat fats or protein as well it slows down your digestion and it does not pass through your stomach so fast.

    So the sugars are passed more gradually to the small intestine where they are absorbed.

    This levels out the blood sugar so you feel less hungry and it gets used instead of being stored.

    With a restricted diet it is hard, but eating fewer carbs (not none) may well help.

    You may benefit from a dietician, otherwise just experiment.

Reply
  • in reply to kookaburra333

    If it is mostly carbs, then these cause sugar spikes. The body then stores it as it can't use it all at once so you get fat. Once the sugar level drops in your blood you feel hungry again. So you are stuck in a cycle of eating and getting fatter but you can't stop. 

    If you eat fats or protein as well it slows down your digestion and it does not pass through your stomach so fast.

    So the sugars are passed more gradually to the small intestine where they are absorbed.

    This levels out the blood sugar so you feel less hungry and it gets used instead of being stored.

    With a restricted diet it is hard, but eating fewer carbs (not none) may well help.

    You may benefit from a dietician, otherwise just experiment.

Children
No Data