Relationship of weight and eating disorders in type 2 diabetic patients: A multicenter study

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Objective Previous work suggested that the degree of psychiatric symptomatology evidenced in overweight individuals was related to the severity of binge eating problems and not related to the severity of overweight. In a multicenter study, we investigated the relationship between weight and eating disorders (EDs) in a sample of type 2 diabetic patients. Methods Three hundred twenty‐two patients with type 2 diabetes were stratified to various weight categories. Glycemic control, eating and body‐related psychological problems, self‐esteem, depressive, and general psychopathology of diaetic patients with and without an ED were compared. Results Eighty‐one percent of all type 2 diabetic patients were overweight or obese. Prevalence rates of EDs ranged from 6.5% to 9.0%. Binge eating disorder was the most diagnosed ED. There was a strong relationship between body mass index (BMI) and eating disturbance‐related variables and a weak or no relationship between BMI and depression or general psychopathologic variables. Patients with an ED showed a greater psychopathology compared to patients without an ED. The diagnosis of an ED did not seem to have a specific influence on glycemic control. Conclusions Our results in a type 2 diabetic sample indicate that weight might have an impact on body and eating‐related psychological distress in type 2 diabetic patients, but is of minor or no importance for depressive symptomatology, lower self‐esteem, and general psychiatric symptomatology. Type 2 diabetic patients with an ED, however, suffer from considerable psychiatric symptomatology. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 28: 68–77, 2000.