A large survey study performed by Norwegian researchers has revealed that up to 1 in 5 11–19-year-olds and 1 in 2 17–19-year-olds with type 1 diabetes (T1D) exhibit disordered eating behaviour (DEB).
The study examined the prevalence of both clinical and subclinical eating disorders in a cohort of 770 individuals (51% female, 49% male) receiving insulin therapy. Participants were recruited from the Norwegian Childhood Diabetes Registry, which includes data from over 95% of youth with T1D in Norway. The presence of DEB was assessed with the use of the 16-point Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised survey.
Females were found to have a greater likelihood of developing DEB than their male counter parts, with 1 in 4 females reporting that they would not administer insulin if they had overeaten. Deliberately skipping insulin injections to lose weight is known as diabulimia, which is associated with an increased incidence of early onset diabetes-related complications.
Overweight youth had an increased likelihood of DEB, with the relationship between DEB and body weight being notably stronger in females. Shockingly, the results also show that young people with diabetes and DEB had poorer glycaemic control compared to those without DEB.
Line Wisting, a researcher at the Regional Eating Disorders Service, Oslo University Hospital, Norway, said: “Unfortunately, there is little knowledge about efficient treatment approaches for this patient group, but collaboration between diabetes and eating-disorder clinicians is very important. I think it is important to include psychologists on the diabetes teams.”
She continued: “However, it is important to note that DEB in this study does not indicate an eating-disorder diagnosis, [but] that the person shows some degree of disturbed eating that should be further assessed. It is recommended that adolescents with T1D should be routinely and annually screened for disordered eating behaviour.”
