Oh there's no one answer to Autism and other neurological disorders, but there are certain things that can increase the risk and obesity is one of them. Doesn't mean you'd have to be obese to have an autistic child, but it does mean if a woman was obese during pregnancy than her child is very likely to develop autism whereas normal weight women have a lower risk. Personally, I would need decades more research to definitively say one way or the other, but we can't ignore the data we have already. It is a fact, obese mothers are far more likely to cause their unborn baby to have neurological disorders then normal weight people. As for "more autism" I think it is a combination of things. The obesity thing is one. The "now we know how to diagnose the previously undiagnosed" is another. Genetic makeup will always be a factor. We know vaccinations are NOT a cause, but there are likely still many factor out there to be taken into account. In many cases if a child is autistic that's just how they were always going to be, and that is okay. But I know one thing for sure; if I became obese then had an autistic child, I'd always wonder if my bad habits were to blame. We love our children no matter who or what they are, but we should do everything in our power to protect and nurture them. Not drinking during pregnancy, not being obese during pregnancy, eating healthy while pregnant, not smoking, not working in the pits of a coal mine.... there is a lot we are told we can do to increase our child's chance of a good life. We can't do everything of course, your family having autism if your mother wasn't ever obese is one of those cases. Just like how my mother had nothing to do with my heart condition. Sometimes it just happens. But most people agree life would be a little easier on our kids if we can manage to avoid these things, so any steps a woman can take to ensure her children are as healthy as possible shouldn't even be a question in her mind.