A new article has examined the nutritional needs of people with autism, as they often have food issues.

About 1 in 88 children has an autism spectrum disorder. This represents a 78 per cent increase since 2002. And although some of the increase can be due to improved diagnostic capabilities, a lot more cases are happening.

The July 2015 issue of Advances in Nutrition, the international review journal of the American Society for Nutrition, features the article: “Nutritional Status of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Do We Know Enough?”

The authors of the study look at a number of early warning signs that the nutritional scientists have discovered could alert parents and doctors to a diagnosis.

Research has found how a lower level of folic acid, vitamin B-6, and even vitamin B-12 concentrations can be indicators.

Studies have also discovered how individuals with autism may be malnourished due to selective eating patterns or a fear of eating new or unfamiliar foods. But research findings have generally indicated that children with an autism spectrum disorder are more likely to be overweight or obese.

Unusual dietary patterns as well as decreased physical activity may be factors.

The authors of the Nutritional Status article say more research needs to be done to help detect and diagnose autism sooner in life, which can help parents and doctors come up with a plan to keep children at the right weight.

The report read: “If better strategies can be put into place, then the people with this disease can live healthier lives, and this can help reduce the mortality rates and enable them to grow and develop as normal as possible.”

The authors also said that while most nutrition research is focusing on the needs of children with autism, there is still a lot of research that needs to be done on the middle-aged and elderly people.

They hope that more researchers will look into the adult population with autism, because this group is also vulnerable to getting other conditions as a result of poor nutrition, such as osteoporosis.

They concluded by saying a steep rise in the number of individuals with autism, together with higher mortality rates, is leading to “enormous public health implications.”