EATING ATTITUDES AND THE IRRITABLE-BOWEL-SYNDROME

A series of 48 new patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) were a sked to complete an Eating Attitudes Test. The same test was given to a series of 32 patients attending an Eating Disorder clinic, a series of 31 patients attending a gastroenterology outpatient clinic with a d iagnosis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and to a group of 28 'no rmal' controls. The results showed that there was no significant diffe rence between the IBD group and control groups for EAT score. The EAT scare far the group with eating disorders was significantly higher tha n for ail other groups. The EAT score for the IBS group was greater th an those for the IBD and control group (p = 0.05) when all four groups were compared using analysis of variance and the Least Significant Di fference test. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.