A COMPARISON OF EATING BEHAVIORS IN NEWLY-DIAGNOSED NIDDM PATIENTS AND CASE-MATCHED CONTROL SUBJECTS

OBJECTIVE- To determine whether disordered eating may be problematic i n non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS- We contrasted the eating behaviors and attitudes in 50 newly diagnosed NIDDM patients with 50 age-, sex-, and weight-matched contr ol subjects. RESULTS - Although 14% of diabetic subjects versus 4% of nondiabetic subjects reported episodes of binge eating (P < 0.10), the re was no difference between diabetic and nondiabetic subjects in the prevalence with which they met criteria for binge eating disorder. Dia betic patients with a history of binge eating were significantly heavi er, had younger age at diagnosis, and had more problems with eating in response to situational and emotional cues than did diabetic patients who did not binge. CONCLUSIONS- No support was found for greater prev alence of binge eating disorder in newly diagnosed NIDDM patients than in matched nondiabetic control subjects.