Personality disorders as risk factors for eating disorders: clinical implications

Personality disorders are oftentimes comorbid with eating disorders. According to a review of the literature, obsessive-compulsive personality disorder is the most common Axis II disorder in eating-disordered individuals with restrictive eating behavior, whereas borderline personality disorder is the most common Axis II disorder in those with impulsive eating pathology. Because personality disorders developmentally precede eating disorders and the characteristics of the personality disorder oftentimes mirror the style of eating pathology (eg, highly controlled personality styles and highly controlled eating patterns; impulsive personality styles and impulsive eating pathology), it is reasonable to assume that personality disorders influence subsequent eating pathology. Therefore, it is likely that personality disorders function, to some degree, as risk factors for the development of specific types of eating disorders. The authors discuss the clinical implications of these relationships.