Prevalence and health implications of being overweight or obese

The prevalence of being overweight and obese is higher in people with intellectual disability than in the general population.

People with developmental disability at most risk of being overweight and obese include:

• women
• people living in community settings with more access to food (eg independently, with families)
• people with a mild level of intellectual disability who are able to make their own food choices and access food independently
• people with Down syndrome
• people with Prader–Willi syndrome
• people taking medications that affect weight gain (eg antipsychotics, antiepileptics)
• people with low levels of physical activity.

For discussion of overweight and obesity, and cardiovascular risk, see Overweight and obese patients and cardiovascular disease risk.