Binge eating and purging in young women with IDDM

Case reports and empirical studies suggest that young women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) may be at high risk for developing eating disorders. In this study, self-reports of binge eating and purging from 59 IDDM women (aged 18-30 yr) were obtained. Most participants (58%) reported that they went on eating binges, and 12% met the DSM-III criteria for a diagnosis of bulimia. Nearly 40% admitted to controlling their weight by insulin purging, and 13.5% reported purging by other means. A group of bulimic participants had mean scores on an eating disorder questionnaire in the pathological range. Bulimic symptoms were positively related to reports of hospitalizations, episodes of ketoacidosis, and psychological symptoms. Implications of these results on the medical management of young women with IDDM are discussed.