Please don’t come at me. I try my best. My son is nearly 12 and autistic. He’s always been somewhat bigger than his peers but never massive but over the last 12 months he’s really gained weight. He’s around 9.5 stone and 145cm tall, looking noticeable bigger and in 14/15 or 15/16 clothes and have to buy him stretchy shorts etc.
I am not an idiot and not in denial about his weight so don’t need to be told this. It’s making me so sad as I was a big kid, he doesn’t seem to care about his weight like j did though.
he only drinks water which is good I guess and doesn’t like sweets but his guilty pleasure is chocolate and he constantly asks for it.
due to being autistic his diet is limited and tends to eat the same things over and over and always seems to be hungry.
I believe his weight gain is down to lack of exercise too. I cannot get him motivated to exercise. In primary we used to walk every day but going on school transport from home means he isn’t doing that anymore. He likes to go for a school lunch as doesn’t like packed lunch foods but the secondary canteen isn’t as healthy as primary.
do you think I should speak to a doctor? Yes his diet is bad and lack of exercise but I believe there hasn’t been any rapid changes (apart from starting secondary school) and the gain has been pretty rapid. Thyroid probs run in our family so might be something to consider. He’s always had a big appetite but nothing to this extent.
I do believe he is sensory seeking by eating too.
it doesn’t help that sometime she goes out with his father (not been together for years) and he’ll let him eat what he wants and how much he wants and when I don’t do the same we get ‘dad let’s me eat that much’.
he is also very aggressive when we say no to more food.
birthday soon and we intend to get him a new bike and get him out on it as much as we can - often hard as I have a dc with a disability which means she cannot ride a bike and too tall and big for any trailers or seats herself!
any other advice?