From Cara Murez
HealthDay reporter
TUESDAY, May 4, 2021 (HealthDay News) – While autism and certain eating disorders are known to go hand in hand, does gender also play a role?
According to Swedish researchers, who are aiming to better understand whether men or women affect eating disorders in people with autism, this appears to be the case.
The study found that autistic characteristics predicted eating disorders, but the association was more pronounced, especially in girls or women. These eating problems could increase the risk of social isolation for women with autism, the researchers also found.
“We did not investigate the possible genetic difference between men and women, but we did investigate this connection between autism and eating disorders. And we wanted to know whether this is different between women and men,” said study author Karl Lundin Remnelius. PhD student at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.
The specific eating disorders noted by women involved social attitudes, Remnelius said.
“These things were, for example, ‘I find it difficult to eat with friends’ or’ I find it difficult to eat at school, at work or in a restaurant,” said Remnelius. “And we actually saw it when we did We took a closer look at this subscale that only these social elements report autistic women or have higher scores. “
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The study also found that autistic characteristics predicted increased eating disorders. This can’t be that autism also causes eating disorders, but that certain genetic factors could be responsible for both, Remnelius said.
“We don’t know if this is causal, if autism causes eating disorders, or if there is some other factor affecting both autism and eating disorders. One thing might be that some of the genes increase the likelihood of a person with autism might too.” increase the likelihood that a person will have eating disorders, “Remnelius said.
“Sometimes this is described as genetically confusing, so it’s not really autism that causes eating disorders,” he said. “More so, people with autism are also more likely to have eating disorders.”
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The study included nearly 200 identical and fraternal twins between the ages of 15 and 33, including 28 people diagnosed with autism, all of whom were part of the Roots of Autism and ADHD twin study in Sweden. The study examined associations across the sample and then within the twin pairs.
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Participants reported about their eating disorders in a questionnaire that comprehensively addressed eating disorders, Remnelius said. Participants also had neurodevelopmental assessments, and the researchers gathered information about autistic traits reported by parents.
Eating disorders included selective eating, sensory sensitivity to food, and symptoms of eating disorders.
These social eating issues could prevent women from having opportunities for social interaction, suggested Remnelius, saying there should be more research on the subject.
The results were presented on Monday at the virtual annual meeting of the International Society for Autism Research. Such research is deemed preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
The study confirms the results seen earlier, said Pamela Feliciano, scientific director of SPARK (Simons Powering Autism Research), who was not involved in this study.
Previous research has shown an association between autism or autistic traits and eating selectivity. Cognitive inflexibility can be a risk factor for eating disorders, she said.
The idea that there is a gender difference in eating disorders is interesting and a new aspect that needs to be better understood, Feliciano said.
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“I think this is going to be important,” she said. “If a child with autism only eats three things, it will be really difficult for that child to integrate into social situations.”
It can also be difficult for families to experience when food is so limited, Feliciano said. Therapy can help change this by slowly building a person’s eating repertoire.
Many parents of children with autism report selective eating, she noted. Some children eat fewer than five foods or only eat foods of a certain color.
“It’s complicated. I think repetitive behavior, the tendency towards repetitive behavior, and the desire to do the same thing over and over again play a role, but there is also – and research has shown – a sensory component of it. ” Declared Feliciano. “If children have sensory sensitivity to loud noises and can’t stand it, eating a crispy meal will be painful for them.”
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More information
The Autism Society is a research organization that provides information on autism.
SOURCES: Karl Lundin Remnelius, PhD student, Karolinska Institutet and Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Pamela Feliciano, PhD, Simons Powering Autism Research (SPARK), New York City, International Society for Autism Research Annual Virtual Meeting, May 3, 2021
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