The Prevalence and Correlates of Eating Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication

Eating disorders are relatively rare among the general population. This review discusses the literature on the incidence, prevalence and mortality rates of eating disorders. We searched online Medline/Pubmed, Embase and PsycINFO databases for articles published in English using several keyterms relating to eating disorders and epidemiology. Anorexia nervosa is relatively common among young women. While the overall incidence rate remained stable over the past decades, there has been an increase in the high risk-group of 15–19 year old girls. It is unclear whether this reflects earlier detection of anorexia nervosa cases or an earlier age at onset. The occurrence of bulimia nervosa might have decreased since the early nineties of the last century. All eating disorders have an elevated mortality risk; anorexia nervosa the most striking. Compared with the other eating disorders, binge eating disorder is more common among males and older individuals.

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Epidemiology of Eating Disorders: Incidence, Prevalence and Mortality Rates

The prevalence and correlates of binge eating disorder in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys.

Purpose of review The purpose of this review is to evaluate the recent literature on the incidence and prevalence of and mortality associated with eating disorders. Recent findings General-practice studies shove that the overall incidence rates of anorexia nervosa remained stable during the 1990s, compared with the 1980s. Some evidence suggests that the occurrence of bulimia nervosa is decreasing. Anorexia nervosa is a common disorder among young white females; but is extremely rare among black females. Recent studies confirm previous findings of the high mortality rate within the anorexia nervosa population. Summary The incidence of anorexia nervosa is around eight per 100 000 persons per year. An upward trend has been observed in the incidence of anorexia nervosa in the past century till the 1970s. The most substantial increase was among females aged 15-24 years, for whom a significant increase was observed from 1935 to 1999. The average prevalence rates for anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa among young females are 0.3 and 1%, respectively. Only a minority of people with eating disorders, especially with bulimia nervosa, are treated in mental healthcare.

Incidence, prevalence and mortality of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders

The authors review research on risk factors for eating disorders, restricting their focus to studies in which clear precedence of the hypothesized risk factor over onset of the disorder is established. They illustrate how studies of sociocultural risk factors and biological factors have progressed on parallel tracks and propose that major advances in understanding the etiology of eating disorders require a new generation of studies that integrate these domains. They discuss how more sophisticated and novel conceptualizations of risk and causal processes may inform both nosology and intervention efforts.

Risk factors for eating disorders.

Context Binge-eating disorder (BED)—a syndrome that only recently has attracted scientific attention—is often seen in obese individuals, especially those with severe obesity. However, it remains unclear whether BED represents an etiologically distinct behavioral phenotype of obesity or simply a nonspecific eating pattern sometimes seen in obese individuals. Objective To test whether BED aggregates in families independently of obesity, and if so, whether familial factors for BED also independently increase the risk of obesity. Design, Patients, and Setting Blinded family interview study of overweight or obese probands with (n = 150) and without (n = 150) BED, and their first-degree relatives (n = 888) in a community setting evaluated between October 2002 and July 2004. Main Outcome Measures Lifetime diagnosis of BED; current and highest lifetime body mass index (calculated as the weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters). Results Binge-eating disorder aggregated strongly in families independently of obesity (odds ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-3.6; P P  = .002). Conclusions Binge-eating disorder is a familial disorder caused in part by factors distinct from other familial factors for obesity. Furthermore, these BED-specific familial factors may independently increase the risk of obesity, especially severe obesity. It follows that targeted interventions capable of preventing or treating traits influenced by these BED-specific familial factors could reduce the public health burden of obesity.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/articlepdf/209418/YOA50309.pdf

Binge-Eating Disorder as a Distinct Familial Phenotype in Obese Individuals

Objective

To review the findings from pharmacologic trials of binge eating disorder (BED) and to provide guidelines for pharmacologic treatment.



Methods

The literature was searched for studies of pharmacologic treatment of BED and related conditions, such as nonpurging bulimia nervosa.



Results

Placebo-controlled studies of desipramine, fluvoxamine, fluoxetine, sertraline, citalopram, dexfenfluramine, sibutramine, and topiramate have demonstrated the efficacy of these agents in the treatment of BED. An open trial of venlafaxine has offered preliminary evidence for the efficacy of this medication. Guidelines for pharmacologic management of BED are provided.



Conclusions

The literature offers support for the use of agents from three categories of medication (antidepressants, appetite suppressants, and anticonvulsants) in the treatment of BED. © 2003 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 34: S74–S88, 2003.

Pharmacologic treatment of binge eating disorder.

Objective: This study assessed the stability of binge eating disorder in a community sample. Method: The authors interviewed 888 first-degree relatives of 300 overweight or obese probands (150 with binge eating disorder and 150 with no lifetime eating disorder) who were recruited during a family study. They compared the total duration of illness among relatives with lifetime diagnoses of binge eating disorder (N=131), bulimia nervosa (N=17), and anorexia nervosa (N=18). Results: The mean lifetime duration of binge eating disorder was 14.4 years (SD=13.9), significantly longer than for either bulimia nervosa (mean=5.8 years, SD=9.1) or anorexia nervosa (mean=5.9 years, SD=7.4). These differences changed little when analysis was restricted to female relatives or to relatives of the probands with no lifetime eating disorder. Conclusions: These findings suggest that binge eating disorder is at least as chronic as the well-validated disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and likely represents a stable ...

Lindsay J. Pindyck

Papers

Binge-Eating Disorder as a Distinct Familial Phenotype in Obese Individuals

Pharmacologic treatment of binge eating disorder.

Binge Eating Disorder: A Stable Syndrome