Are Eating Disorders More Prevalent in Females with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus When the Impact of Insulin Omission Is Considered?

Although prevalence estimates vary in women with type 1 diabetes mellitus, studies suggest the occurrence of eating disorders is comparable between women with and without diabetes mellitus. A new study examined the association between eating disorders and type 1 diabetes mellitus in 12-19-year-old females with diabetes for at least 1 year. Subjects with diabetes were 2.4 times more likely than controls (without diabetes) to have a clinical eating disorder and 1.9 times more likely to have a subthreshold eating disorder. Moreover, mean glycosylated hemoglobin was higher in subjects with diabetes who had an eating disorder (9.4%) compared with those with diabetes without an eating disorder (8.6%).