Diabulimia... An Eating Disorder That Can Affect Diabetic Teens

Diabulimia is a new phrase for a phenomenon that is not very well-known. It is another form of bulimia, an eating disorder that typically strikes teens and young adults who are type 1 diabetics.

The disorder occurs when teens with type 1 start to withhold their insulin doses in order to lose weight. Girls, typically, who are obsessively concerned about body image and being thin, may adopt this disordered pattern of skipping their insulin doses to just taking the bare minimum dose to survive.

For more information on diabulimia, read...

• Eating Disorders in Teens with Type 1 Diabetes

All eating disorders are dangerous but diabulimia is especially so, because of the magnitude of the complications that can develop. Blood sugar that is too high for too long causes many serious, sometimes fatal complications. Blindness, kidney damage, heart and blood vessel disease, are all complications that result from long periods of high blood sugar.

• Diabetic Retinopathy
• Nephropathy or Kidney Failure
• Nerve Damage or Neuropathy

In addition to these complications, diabetic ketoacidosis can also develop if blood sugar goes too high. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate emergency intervention and can be fatal.

• Diabetic Ketoacidosis

What can parents do to help their teen? Kids with diabetes, who are not in good metabolic control, are more likely to suffer from the complications of uncontrolled blood glucose. Early treatment is important because the longer an eating disorder continues, the harder it is to treat.

Our About.com eating disorders guide, Matt Tiemeyer, has more on diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders...

• Diagnosis of Eating Disorders
• Treatment of Eating Disorders
• Discovering an Eating Disorder in a Loved One

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