Bulimia in obese individuals. Relationship to normal-weight bulimia.
We compared 23 obese subjects meeting DSM-III criteria for bulimia with 47 obese nonbulimic subjects and 47 normal-weight bulimic subjects using structured diagnostic interviews. The obese bulimic subjects were similar to the normal-weight bulimic subjects but different from the nonbulimic obese subjects in exhibiting a high lifetime rate of major affective disorder. However, the obese bulimic subjects were much less likely than the normal-weight bulimic subjects to use self-induced vomiting as a method of purging. These results suggest that obese individuals with bulimic symptoms may constitute a sizable but little-recognized population. Further studies will be required, however, to assess whether the syndrome of bulimia in obesity represents a valid diagnostic entity.
Hudson
J I
JI
Epidemiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02178.
Pope
H G
HG
Wurtman
J
J
Yurgelun-Todd
D
D
Mark
S
S
Rosenthal
N E
NE
D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D002032:Bulimia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales