Binge Eating, Mood, and Quality of Life in Youth With Type 2 Diabetes

OBJECTIVE The current study examines the prevalence of binge eating and its association with adiposity and psychosocial functioning in a large, diverse sample of youth with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS In the TODAY study, 678 (mean age 14.0 years; 64.9% girls) of the 704 youth randomized to the study completed a self-report measure of eating disorder symptoms and were categorized as nonovereaters, overeaters, subclinical binge eaters, or clinical binge eaters. RESULTS Youth with clinical (6%) and subclinical (20%) levels of binge eating had significantly higher levels and rates of extreme obesity, global eating disorder and depressive symptoms, and impaired quality of life. CONCLUSIONS These findings highlight the importance of evaluating youth with type 2 diabetes for the presence of binge eating. Future research is needed to determine the cumulative effects of disordered eating, obesity, and psychosocial distress on adherence to lifestyle change recommendations and longitudinal response to treatment.