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In a cross-sectional Danish study, 2.9% of adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D) screened positive for probable binge eating disorder (BED), and another 3.1% reported subclinical symptoms. Adults with BED symptoms were diagnosed with diabetes at a younger age than those without, and symptoms were more common among women, adults with a BMI of 35 or higher, and those reporting lower well‑being.
METHODOLOGY
- Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study in February 2024 to estimate how common BED symptoms are among adults with T2D and to identify characteristics linked to those symptoms.
- The analysis included 2459 adults from the Region of Southern Denmark, drawn from the Danish Centre for Strategic Research in T2D cohort, who completed a validated self-report questionnaire on binge eating.
- Participants were grouped as those with probable BED (binge eating at least once per week with loss of control and distress), subclinical BED (the same frequency and loss of control but without distress), or no BED (no binge eating or binge eating accompanied by compensatory behaviours consistent with bulimia nervosa).
- Information on well-being, other health conditions, medications, and lab results was obtained from national health registers and cohort records.
TAKEAWAY
- Overall, 72 participants (2.9%) screened positive for probable BED, and another 76 (3.1%) reported subclinical symptoms.
- Adults with probable BED were diagnosed with T2D at a median age of 51.8 years, compared with 56.8 years for those with subclinical BED and 59.5 years for those without symptoms.
- Symptoms were more common among adults with higher BMI: Compared with a BMI below 25, adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) were 6.56 for a BMI of 25-29, 6.41 for a BMI of 30-34, and 11.37 for a BMI of 35 or higher. Symptoms were also more common among women (PR, 1.54) and adults reporting poor well-being on the five-item World Health Organization Well-Being Index (PR, 1.83).
- BED symptoms were linked to a diastolic blood pressure of 90 mm Hg or higher and a greater use of GLP-1 drugs. The researchers found no clear association with A1c levels.
IN PRACTICE
"Our findings highlight a subgroup of adults with type 2 diabetes in whom BED symptoms may be especially relevant to consider, including women, individuals with obesity, those with lower well-being and those diagnosed with diabetes at a younger age," the authors wrote.
SOURCE
The study was led by Pernille Fiil Nybo, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark. It was published online on October 03, 2026, in Diabetic Medicine.
LIMITATIONS
Binge eating was measured using a self‑report questionnaire rather than clinical interviews, so some participants may have been misclassified. Participants may have underreported symptoms, leading to an underestimation of how common they are. Because the study was cross‑sectional, it could not determine whether binge eating preceded or followed diabetes onset.
DISCLOSURES
The study was supported by the Jascha Research Foundation through a PhD scholarship. The authors reported having no relevant conflicts of interest.
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
