title: Bulimia in obese individuals. Relationship to normal-weight bulimia.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Epidemiology Laboratory, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts 02178.
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Pope
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wurtman
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yurgelun-Todd
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mark
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
mesh_terms: 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