Binge eating disorder: a stable syndrome.
OBJECTIVE
This study assessed the stability of binge eating disorder in a community sample.


METHODS
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 syndrome.
Pope
Harrison G
HG
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA. hpope@mclean.harvard.edu
Lalonde
Justine K
JK
Pindyck
Lindsay J
LJ
Walsh
Timothy
T
Bulik
Cynthia M
CM
Crow
Scott J
SJ
McElroy
Susan L
SL
Rosenthal
Norman
N
Hudson
James I
JI
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003625:Data Collection; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors