[Eating disorders in an adolescent population with insulin-dependent diabetes]

The existence of a relationship between Insulin-Dependent Diabetes and eating disorders has recently been observed, but its prevalence and impact on somatic functioning remain poorly understood. These dimensions were evaluated in a population of 52 insulin-dependent diabetic adolescent girls and compared with evaluations of matched subjects from the general population. Results showed that the occurrence of anorexia nervosa is rare, the occurrence of unspecified eating disorders is frequent (35%) and the occurrence of bulimia nervosa is nearly six percent. Poor metabolic control as reflected in blood levels of glycosylated hemoglobin (HBA1C) was found in bulimic subjects and a tendency to be overweight was found in subjects with an unspecified eating disorder. Since such disorders frequently involve dietary restrictions, the role of a restrictive pattern in the occurrence of eating disorders is raised.