Eating Disorders and Diabetes Mellitus

Adolescents and young women with type 1 diabetes mellitus show a coincidental overrepresentation of disturbed eating behavior and eating disorders, primarily bulimia nervosa. The comorbidity of both disturbed eating behavior and an eating disorder with type 1 diabetes represents a risk factor for the development of later diabetic complications. Binge eating disorder is particularly observed in overweight and obesity. The question of whether binge eating disorder is more common in people with type 2 diabetes compared to metabolically healthy individuals cannot be conclusively answered due to inconsistent study findings. However, binge eating disorder represents a risk factor for the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes.