Assessment of diabetes-specific eating disorder risk in adult patients with diabetes

Purpose Adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) are reported to be at higher risk for clinical eating disorders (ED) and other disordered eating behaviors (DEB) than their peers without diabetes. On the other hand, there is insufficient data on DEB in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence of DEB in patients with T1D and T2D on intensive insulin therapy followed in our outpatient clinic. Methods Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised (DEPS-R), electronically delivered to the patients with T1D and T2D who were on an intensive insulin regimen followed up in the diabetes outpatient clinic in our center for the evaluation of DEB. A total of 120 participants, 80 patients with T1D and 40 patients with T2D, were included in the study. DEB was defined as a DEPS-R score >= 20 according to the answers given to the questionnaire. Results Risk of DEB was observed in 35% of all individuals with diabetes and was higher in T2D (55% (n = 22)) than in T1D (25% (n = 20)) (p < 0.001). In patients with T1D, BMI was similar between the risk and normal groups in terms of DEB (p = 0.15), whereas in patients with T2D, BMI was significantly higher in the risk group in terms of DEB compared to the non-risk group (p < 0.001). There was a positive correlation between the risk of DEB and HbA1c and a negative correlation with the duration of diabetes in the T1D group (p < 0.05). Weight loss was an important goal for more than 50% of individuals with diabetes in both groups, more than 60% said they skipped a main meal or snack. 13.8% of those with T1D and 27.5% of those with T2D preferred being thin to having their diabetes better controlled. Conclusion In our study, 35% of patients with diabetes were found to have a risk of DEB, with the risk being higher in the T2D group. Our results emphasize the importance of increasing awareness among physicians and patients about DEB, which is prevalent among patients with diabetes. Early detection of individuals at risk for DEB should be considered a crucial aspect of treatment.