Frequency of Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder in obese females and the Relationship with Some Individual Characteristics

Abstract

eating disorder nowadays considered as a primary health issue since growing incidence and health consequences of eating disorders among the population. Bulimia nervosa is a disorder which disrupts the ability to maintain a `normal’ eating pattern.

Aim of study : to  determine the prevalence of bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder among  obese persons and the difference of some Individual Characteristics factors in obese females with eating disorders(binge eating disorder and  bulimia nervosa) and obese females without eating disorders.

Patients and method : a cross sectional study  from  August -2012 to March- 2013 ,  for randomly selected (190) obese females , their body mass index (BMI)?30Kg/m2  , age range from 15 to 60  years, (40 ,21%) met the definition and criteria of Bing eating disorder(BED) and Bulimia nervosa(BN).  (32, 16.84%) were BE and (8, 4.23%) were BN. Others (150, 78.9%) were obese female without any eating disorder  . constricted  Questionnaires regarding the diagnostic criteria of Bing eating disorder and bulimia nervosa and  socio demographic factors for both groups are taken and other variable related to the health factors: classes of obesity   , history chronic stress, sleep disturbances, and , history of hypertension or treatments to it , history of diabetes mellitus and factors related to female such as MD (menstrual disturbance),  and other food related factors : favorite food, meal frequency and snack frequency. anthropometric measurements (weight, height then body mass index(BMI)) were taken  .

Results: The total number of patient collected to these study (190) patients. 40 (21%) met the definition and criteria of eating disorder and bulimia nervosa , other 150(78.9%) consider as obese without eating disorder group .45% of study group with eating disorders in age group 26-35 compared with 37.9% in obese group without eating disorder. There was a statistical significant relationship regarding age group, residence, marital state and educational level between the study groups with(  p-value = 0.002 , 0.002, 0.021,0.036 ) respectively, with no difference regarding occupation(p-value=0.420). and 47.5% of eating disorder group were in class II obesity compared with  37.3% in obese group without eating disorder with statistical significant (?2=7.720,df=2 ,p-value=0.021). and 52.5% of eating disorder group reported body shape stressor  compared with 23.3% in the other study group with significant difference between the study groups regarding report of stress and history of diabetes mellitus (?2=13.256,df=3 ,p-value=0.004) , (?2=12.66,df=1 ,p-value=0.000) respectively  and no difference regarding sleep disturbance , menstrual disturbance and hypertension (p-value =0.375 , 0.215, 0.196) respectively .65% of obese with eating

disorder group prefer mixed and fatty meal compare with 34.7% in obese without eating disorder (p-value=0.001) and significant difference regarding meal and snack intake between the study groups (p-value= 0.011,0.024) respectively.

conclusion, obese women  with binge eating disorder and bulimia nervosa appear to report younger age ,live in cities mostly married and had college and post graduate level of education  that is  different compared to obese women without binge eating and bulimic disorder   those who reported lighter body weight and body shape stressor and the majority of eating disorders group report no history of diabetes mellitus , they also prefer mixed and fatty meal and the majority of them reported consume lunch meal and afternoon snack regularly.

Keywords: obesity, binge eating