{"id":26672,"date":"2021-05-31T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-31T08:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/?post_type=diabeteshealth&p=26672"},"modified":"2026-05-30T19:20:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T19:20:09","slug":"diabulimia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bensnaturalhealth.com\/blog\/diabetes-health\/diabulimia\/","title":{"rendered":"Diabetes and Eating Disorders: What Is Diabulimia?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Diabulimia is a complicated and severe eating disorder found in people with type 1 diabetes who purposefully omit insulin to lose weight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diabulimia statistics show that the prevalence rates of Diabulimia are 11 to 15 percent in adolescent girls and 30 to 39 percent in adult women. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Diabetic women with type 1 diabetes have more than twice the risk of developing an eating disorder than women without diabetes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here we take a look at this complex medical condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Type 1 Diabetes<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Diagnosis of type 1 diabetes often occurs after a person experiences sudden symptoms, including weight loss, fatigue, frequent urination<\/a>, and extreme hunger. Diagnosed eating disorders include Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa, which are both forms of mental illness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a person is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, they will always require insulin treatment and possibly oral medications. When one’s blood sugar stabilizes, weight gain can occur. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anorexia typically involves food avoidance and restriction. Bulimia involves uncontrolled binge eating and possibly purging. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While a person with diabetes needs to be engaged in their care, hyper-focusing on items such as blood glucose numbers, label reading, meal planning, and carbohydrate counting is detrimental. Food restrictions and “rules” can increase a person with type 1 diabetes<\/a> from developing an eating disorder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Is Diabulimia?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Diabulimia is a medical term that describes insulin omission<\/a> to perpetuate weight loss. Health professionals have used the word “Diabulimia” since the early 2000s. But physicians note the behavior back 50 or more years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For people with Diabulimia and other co-occurring mental health disorders, treatment can be even more complicated. People seeking recovery with co-occurring disorders<\/a> require a complexity of care. Interventions from multiple medical disciplines are necessary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating disorders are behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions. They can be extreme conditions affecting physical, psychological, and social function. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eating disorders often co-occur with other psychiatric disorders, most commonly mood and anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and alcohol and drug abuse problems. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evidence suggests genes and heritability play a part in why some people are at higher risk of eating disorders. Still, these disorders can also affect those with no family history of the condition. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The term dual diagnosis refers to two or more states in the same person simultaneously. Still, it is also a broader term that could apply to any combination of physical conditions that apply to one person. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The word Diabulimia does not exist in medical coding, but the disorder is real. A person’s specific diagnosis will depend on their eating disorder behaviors. Further, the diagnostic manual classifies withholding insulin<\/a> as a purging behavior. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bulimia nervosa if the person is binging then undertakes an insulin restriction<\/a>. It will be diagnosed as purging disorder if the person usually eats and restricts insulin or anorexia nervosa if they severely restrict both food and insulin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often Diabulimia will be interpreted as Other Specified Feeding and Eating Disorder (OSFED). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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An Example of Diabulimia <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Noor was Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 5, and Diabulimia behaviors began at age 12. Noor remembers wanting to be healthy and happy. But she found her fear of losing control over how her body looked if she were to take care of diabetes differently was too overwhelming. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The most important thing to me was that I was skinny,” I was afraid of being fat; but also of dying. I was afraid of my parents finding out and stopping me. But also of them finding out and losing their trust”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her breaking point was falling into a coma after experiencing a low blood sugar<\/a> level. The consistent extreme high blood sugar had her body used to running that way. So dipping to a 79 caused her to go unconscious. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Signs and Symptoms of Diabulimia<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the National Eating disorder Association (NEDA), there are specific things you may want to note if you have concerns about a loved one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First and foremost, a person may be more neglectful of their diabetes management<\/a> or less willing to share information with you. If the person is eating less and not managing blood glucose well, they may be more tired and sleep longer. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moodiness may occur due to irregular blood sugar levels. Weight control may be a forefront concern. And food avoidance may occur. Teenage girls are specifically at risk<\/a> when concerning Diabulimia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Points of concern<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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