Quick Survey Can Detect Bulimia, Predict Future Problems For Teens With Type I Diabetes.

2001 APR 26 - (NewsRx Network) -- The answers to seven questions could mean the difference between a normal life and one plagued with serious medical afflictions for some teens with diabetes.

A simple questionnaire given to youths with insulin-dependent diabetes (type 1 diabetes) can detect symptoms of an eating disorder that increase the risk they'll develop deadly complications down the road, according to a new University of Florida (UF) study.

Adolescents with diabetes who showed symptoms of bulimia were found to have soaring blood sugar levels, putting them at greater risk for blindness, nerve damage, kidney failure, and other life threatening problems earlier in life, according to study findings reported in the April 2001 issue of the American Diabetes Association's Diabetes Care. But a brief seven-question survey could identify teens at risk for bulimia - uncontrolled binge eating - thereby allowing doctors to intervene early to help prevent those serious complications.

"Bulimia causes havoc because you eat so much that your blood sugar level skyrockets and there isn't enough insulin in your body to manage it," said Suzanne Bennett Johnson, the study's principal investigator and a professor of clinical and health psychology at UF's College of Health Professions.

"This survey could easily identify kids at risk for bulimia so clinicians could work with them to control their eating patterns and keep their blood sugars as close to normal as possible. By doing so, we can delay and actually prevent complications so these teens can live normal lives free from all these devastating problems," said Johnson, who also serves as program director for UF's Center for Pediatric Psychology and Family Studies.

The type 1, or insulin-dependent, form of diabetes affects about 10% of those with diabetes. An autoimmune disease in which the body doesn't produce any insulin, it occurs most often in children and young adults. Insulin regulates how the body uses and stores sugar and other food nutrients for energy. Without it, the body's cells literally starve to death.

Many teenagers, particularly girls, are obsessed with weight and body image, making them vulnerable to eating disorders. An estimated eight million people, mainly women, have an eating disorder, which frequently starts in the teen years.