DEFINITION
Diabulimia is a word coined from diabetes- a metabolic disease whereby a person has high blood sugar due to an inability to metabolize sufficient quantity of hormone insulin, and bulimia- an eating disorder. This non-clinical term describes the diagnosis of an eating disorder in an individual with type 1 diabetes. Since a diabetes patient need insulin injections to permit their body to process glucose and avoid complications (as their body cannot produce insulin), an individual suffering from diabulimia deliberately turns the insulin intake into a weight control mechanism by reducing the prescribed dosage, entirely omitting insulin, or by rendering the insulin inactive through certain manipulations. Females of all ages are twice likely to fall victim when they have type 1 diabetes. Women who withhold insulin to lose weight die an average of 10 years earlier than women without an eating disorder.
CAUSES
Explicit to diabulimia, countless factors impact to the increased risk of developing an eating disorder alongside type 1 diabetes.
- The inception of insulin treatment is often accompanied by weight gain particularly among adolescents, this change often times can be physically and emotionally uncomfortable and can result in the manipulation of insulin intake for weight loss.
- To effectively manage type 1 diabetes, dietary constraints and meal formulations are important. This can create a toxic concentration on food.
- Depression and anxiety are among the common psychological effects of having to deal with type 1 diabetes, they are also among the factors that prompts an eating disorder.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
The warning signs and symptoms of diabulimia are both emotional and physical
Emotional Symptoms include:
Increase disregard of diabetes management
Depression or anxiety
Constant fear of being fat due to insulin injections
Anxiety about body image
Strict food rules
Withdrawal from friend and family
Rigorous exercise
Fear of low blood sugar
Physical symptoms include:
Yeast infection
Lack of menstruation
Fatigue
Unexplained weight loss
Dry hair and skin
Blurry vision
Vomiting
Frequent thirst and urination
Low sodium and potassium
Slow wound healing
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
DIAGNOSIS
It is common for diabulimia patient to go undiagnosed for many years as they simply fool their diabetes educator. However, to diagnosis dulimia In a type 1 diabetes patient, the health care provider should check if the of HbA1c level of the patient measure up to the amount of insulin the patient is admitting to be using, if not it, this may indicate a diabulimia.
TREATMENT
Different approach and hard work can be implemented when dealing with behavioral pattern and managing triggers. To handle the issue associated with diabulimia one needs to employ the help of multiple professionals that has deep knowledge of eating disorder. The patients might need to see an endocrinologist, a nutritionist who has multiple knowledge of diabetes and eating disorder and a mental health professional with experience in dealing with such cases. In other light, group theraphy and family based therapy are another great approach in handling such diabulimia cases. By joining a group therapy program as recommended by a mental health care professional, the patient can get the needed support from other people going through diabulimia. Family based therapy involves the whole family support, this can be helpful for parent with kids dealing with diabulimia.