Eating disorders symptomatology in a registry-based sample of women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

It has been noted that women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) may be at increased risk to develop disordered eating because their medical regimen requires an intense focus on diet. Thus the goal of the present study was to determine the prevalence of eating disorders symptomatology in a registry-based sample of women with IDDM and to assess the relationship between eating disorders symptomatology and blood sugar control. One hundred eighty-eight women with IDDM completed the Bulimia Test (BULIT) and the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI). BULIT and EDI scores of diabetic subjects were comparable to those of no diabetic subjects in standardization samples. However, eating disorders symptomatology among IDDM women was significantly associated with poorer control of diabetes. This study suggests that diabetic women are not more likely than nondiabetic women to report eating disorders symptomatology, but converging evidence indicates that these symptoms are associated with poorer control of diabetes. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.