Obesity

Recent articles

Photograph of a doctor and nurse checking a patient’s temperature and taking notes.

Co-occurring conditions in autistic teens increase with age

The most prevalent conditions include obesity, neurological disorders, anxiety and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

By Calli McMurray
8 August 2023 | 1 min read

Cluster of traits tied to rare mutations in autism-linked gene

Developmental delay, intellectual disability and behavioral issues are common among people who have mutations in MYT1L, a gene with strong ties to autism.

By Anna Goshua
20 December 2021 | 3 min read
Collecting blood sample from bottom of newborn's foot for blood test.

Immune markers in newborns show complex relationship with autism odds

Newborns with either above- or below-average levels of an immune-system marker, among other differences, have increased odds of being autistic.

By Laura Dattaro
19 October 2020 | 6 min read
Illustration shows the shadow of a child falling on a cafeteria tray of food.

Calling on primary care providers to help autistic children with weight issues

Pediatric primary care practitioners have a critical responsibility to provide guidance for autistic children struggling with weight gain, and to advocate for them at home and at school.

By Carol Curtin, Sarabeth Broder-Fingert
23 June 2020 | 5 min read
Young teen boy is getting dressed, choosing clothes.

Long-term study charts trajectory of fragile X syndrome into adulthood

For people with fragile X syndrome, progress in daily living skills and behavior tends to stall later in life.

By Chloe Williams
16 March 2020 | 4 min read

How aripiprazole’s promise for treating autism fell short

Aripiprazole, marketed as Abilify, is widely thought to be safer than risperidone, the only other drug approved for use in autistic children. A decade’s worth of data suggests that is not true.

By Hannah Furfaro
19 February 2020 | 24 min read
Colorful figure with a circle shape (a pill) and an orange X in the background symbolizing Fragile X

Diabetes drug delivers multiple benefits for people with fragile X syndrome

Researcher Randi Hagerman is a big proponent of metformin — a diabetes drug that she is testing in people with fragile X syndrome. In fact, Hagerman takes the drug herself as a preventive measure against cancer.

By Polina Porotskaya
17 September 2019 | 6 min read
Spectrum stories podcast logo.

Spectrum Stories: The benefits of genetic testing in autism

Finding a mutation linked to autism traits can have life-changing consequences for autistic individuals and their families.

By Ben Kuebrich
18 March 2019 | 1 min read
Portrait of boy with autism

Why genetic tests matter for autistic people

Genetic tests for people with autism are far from routine and don't always yield results, but the information they offer can change lives.

By Jessica Wright
30 January 2019 | 13 min read
whimsical machine takes in various data and spits out an organized version on the other end

Notable papers in autism research in 2018

This year's list of top papers highlights new dimensions in our understanding of autism genetics and hints at novel treatments.

By Spectrum
21 December 2018 | 4 min read

Explore more from The Transmitter

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The Transmitter’s favorite essays and columns of 2024

From sex differences in Alzheimer’s disease to enduring citation bias, experts weighed in on important scientific and practical issues in neuroscience.

By The Transmitter
23 December 2024 | 2 min read
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Say what? The Transmitter’s top quotes of 2024

“We’ve cured mouse-heimer’s thousands of times...”—find out who said this to a Transmitter reporter, and read our other favorite quotes from the past year.

By The Transmitter
23 December 2024 | 2 min read
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The Transmitter’s favorite podcasts of 2024

Our picks include a deep dive into dopamine, the role of PKMzeta in memory, and studying the stomatogastric ganglion.

By The Transmitter
23 December 2024 | 1 min read