Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2011 Nov 15;2(11):189-95.
doi: 10.4239/wjd.v2.i11.189.

Disordered eating behaviors in type 1 diabetic patients

Alejandra Larrañaga  1 , María F Docet, Ricardo V García-Mayor
Affiliations

Disordered eating behaviors in type 1 diabetic patients

Alejandra Larrañaga et al. World J Diabetes. .

Abstract

Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus are at high risk for disordered eating behaviors (DEB). Due to the fact that type 1 diabetes mellitus is one of the most common chronic illnesses of childhood and adolescence, the coexistence of eating disorders (ED) and diabetes often affects adolescents and young adults. Since weight management during this state of development can be especially difficult for those with type 1 diabetes, some diabetics may restrict or omit insulin, a condition known as diabulimia, as a form of weight control. It has been clearly shown that ED in type 1 diabetics are associated with impaired metabolic control, more frequent episodes of ketoacidosis and an earlier than expected onset of diabetes-related microvascular complications, particularly retinopathy. The management of these conditions requires a multidisciplinary team formed by an endocrinologist/diabetologist, a nurse educator, a nutritionist, a psychologist and, frequently, a psychiatrist. The treatment of type 1 diabetes patients with DEB and ED should have the following components: diabetes treatment, nutritional management and psychological therapy. A high index of suspicion of the presence of an eating disturbance, particularly among those patients with persistent poor metabolic control, repeated episodes of ketoacidosis and/or weight and shape concerns are recommended in the initial stage of diabetes treatment, especially in young women. Given the extent of the problem and the severe medical risk associated with it, more clinical and technological research aimed to improve its treatment is critical to the future health of this at-risk population.

Keywords: Anorexia nervosa; Bulimia nervosa; Disordered eating behaviors; Eating disorders not otherwise specified; Type 1 diabetes.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Consequences of reducing or skipping insulin doses in type 1 diabetes patients.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Components for eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors treatment in type 1 diabetes. DEB: Disordered eating behaviors; ED: Eating disorders.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. University Town Center, Hyattsville, MD: 2011. National Centre for Health Statistics.
    1. Koopmanschap M. Coping with Type II diabetes: the patient's perspective. Diabetologia. 2002;45:S18–S22. - PubMed
    1. Cox DJ, Gonder-Frederick L. Major developments in behavioral diabetes research. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1992;60:628–638. - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 4th ed. Washington: American Psychiatric Association; 1994.
    1. Neumark-Sztainer D, Story M, Falkner NH, Beuhring T, Resnick MD. Disordered eating among adolescents with chronic illness and disability: the role of family and other social factors. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1998;152:871–878. - PubMed