Medical Complications of Binge Eating Disorder
Abstract
Background: Binge Eating Disorder (BED) is the most prevalent eating disorder across all age groups.
Objectives & Results: Estimates are that it is more common than anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Unfortunately, there are numerous psychiatric and medical co-morbidities associated with BED which will exert a heavy toll on health care expenditures. However, too often, BED and its relative medical co-morbidities are underdiagnosed by primary care physicians.
Conclusion: The relationships between BED, Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, the Metabolic Syndrome components and other medical complications are reviewed here in order to increase awareness of this increasingly common eating disorder.
Written by
Philip S. Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS
Dr. Philip Mehler, MD, FACP, FAED, CEDS founded the ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Severe Malnutrition in 2001 and serves as its Executive Medical Director. He began his career at Denver Health…
