title: The prevalence and correlates of binge eating disorder in the World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little population-based data exist outside the United States on the epidemiology of binge eating disorder (BED). Cross-national BED data are presented here and compared with bulimia nervosa (BN) data in the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health Surveys.
  
  
  METHODS
  Community surveys with 24,124 respondents (ages 18+) across 14 mostly upper-middle and high-income countries assessed lifetime and 12-month DSM-IV mental disorders with the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Physical disorders were assessed with a chronic conditions checklist.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Country-specific lifetime prevalence estimates are consistently (median; interquartile range) higher for BED (1.4%; .8-1.9%) than BN (.8%; .4-1.0%). Median age of onset is in the late teens to early 20s for both disorders but slightly younger for BN. Persistence is slightly higher for BN (6.5 years; 2.2-15.4) than BED (4.3 years; 1.0-11.7). Lifetime risk of both disorders is elevated for women and recent cohorts. Retrospective reports suggest that comorbid DSM-IV disorders predict subsequent onset of BN somewhat more strongly than BED and that BN predicts subsequent comorbid disorders somewhat more strongly than does BED. Significant comorbidities with physical conditions are due almost entirely to BN and to a somewhat lesser degree BED predicting subsequent onset of these conditions. Role impairments are similar for BN and BED. Fewer than half of lifetime BN or BED cases receive treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Binge eating disorder represents a public health problem at least equal to BN. Low treatment rates highlight the clinical importance of questioning patients about eating problems even when not included among presenting complaints.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. ncs@hcp.med.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Ronald C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Kessler
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Berglund
authors.forename: Wai Tat
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Chiu
authors.forename: Anne C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Deitz
authors.forename: James I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Hudson
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shahly
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aguilar-Gaxiola
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Matthias C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Angermeyer
authors.forename: Corina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benjet
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruffaerts
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: de Girolamo
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Graaf
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Maria Haro
authors.forename: Viviane
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kovess-Masfety
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: O'Neill
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Posada-Villa
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sasu
authors.forename: Kate
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Maria Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Viana
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xavier
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002032:Bulimia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D052018:Bulimia Nervosa / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014944:World Health Organization