Binge-eating disorder linked to other health conditions

Binge-eating disorder (BED) was linked with a broad range of other illnesses in a recent study, with the strongest associations related to the endocrine and circulatory systems.

Individuals with BED had a 2.5-times increased risk of also having an endocrine disorder and a 1.9-times increased risk of having a circulatory system disorder. Among individuals with BED, those who were also obese had a 1.5-times increased risk of having a respiratory disease and a 2.6-times increased risk of having a gastrointestinal disease than those who were not obese.

The findings may help improve detection of BED and improve the health of affected individuals.

"We encourage clinicians to 'have the conversation' about BED with their patients. Accurate screening and detection can bring BED out of the shadows and get people the treatment they deserve," said Dr. Cynthia Bulik, senior author of the International Journal of Eating Disorders study. "BED afflicts people of all shapes and sizes. The somatic illnesses that we detected were not simply effects of being overweight or obese," she added.