- Calls to this hotline are currently being directed to Within Health, Fay or Eating Disorder Solutions
- Representatives are standing by 24/7 to help answer your questions
- All calls are confidential and HIPAA compliant
- There is no obligation or cost to call
- Eating Disorder Hope does not receive any commissions or fees dependent upon which provider you select
- Additional treatment providers are located on our directory or samhsa.gov
BBC Opens a Window on the Struggles of Those with Diabulimia
The title of a new BBC Three and BBC Newsbeat documentary, “Diabulimia: The World’s Most Dangerous Addiction,” may sound overdramatic but it isn’t far from the truth.
Pathology
Diabulimia is the “deliberate omission or underuse of insulin to control weight [1].” Those with type 1 diabetes do not naturally produce enough insulin, making it necessary for them to inject themselves with it to properly “process glucose and break down sugars from food to use as energy [2].”
Omitting insulin intake results in calories being “purged” via glycosuria.
One of the girls in the documentary, Nabeelah, points out that Diabulimia is difficult to overcome because “it’s an eating disorder with a chronic illness, so you’re trying to fight both on a daily basis.”
As Professor Khalida Ismail, Lead Psychiatrist for Diabetes at King’s Health Partners, notes in the documentary, diabulimia has three defining features:
- Diabulimia only occurs in people with type 1 diabetes,
- People with type 1 diabetes have a fear that insulin causes weight gain.
- This anxiety of weight gain is so intense that it leads them to omit the quantity of insulin they take so they can lose weight.
Ismail’s quote points out the crucial factor of diabulimia, it’s pathology lies in an unfounded fear that insulin causes weight gain, and that fear leads to dangerous compensatory behaviors.
Prevalency
Those with type 1 diabetes are already believed to be at a higher risk for eating disorders due to the weight fluctuations caused by the disorder. In fact, one study found those with diabetes 2.4 times more likely to have an eating disorder than their peers without diabetes [3].
This increased risk has become a reality for many, as numerous studies have found diabulimia to be the most common weight loss method among those with type 1 diabetes [1] [3].
In fact, the documentary cites that “60% of women with type 1 diabetes will have experienced an eating disorder by the age of 25.”
Consequences
Misusing insulin can result in dire health consequences such as kidney failure, blindness, nerve damage, heart failure, loss of limbs, and death. The documentary introduces us to Becky, who received 16-months of treatment for her diabulimia.
Becky is living with the physical consequences of the disorder, as she is currently on crutches, stating that her bones are “mush” due to not taking her insulin.
We are also shown Gemma, who Prof Ismail says is the most severe case of eating disorder and type 1 diabetes she has seen but who won’t be accepted to in-patient ED facilities because she is perceived as “too complex.”
Ismail sadly states that she has heard of patients dying while waiting to receive the proper care and we see what is left behind when that occurs as we hear from Katie, whose sister died at the age of 27 from complications due to diabulimia.
The lack of awareness and education on how to diagnose and treat diabulimia is leading to inadequate care and leaving those struggling to do so alone.
Onward
“Diabulimia…” ends on a somber but positive note. We see Becky, strengthening her body to one day ride a bike or dance, Gemma finally getting a bed in in-patient, and Nabeelah speaking with a diabulimia recovery group.
Small victories like these can be achieved every day when we listen, learn, and act.
About the Author: Margot Rittenhouse is a therapist who is passionate about providing mental health support to all in need and has worked with clients with substance abuse issues, eating disorders, domestic violence victims and offenders, and severely mentally ill youth.
As a freelance writer for Eating Disorder and Addiction Hope and a mentor with MentorConnect, Margot is a passionate eating disorder advocate, committed to de-stigmatizing these illnesses while showing support for those struggling through mentoring, writing, and volunteering. Margot has a Master’s of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Johns Hopkins University.
References:
[1] Shaban, C. (2013). Diabulimia: mental health condition or media hyperbole? Practical Diabetes, 30:3, 104-106.
[2] Gil, N. (2017). Diabulimia: the most dangerous eating disorder you’ve never heard of. Retrieved on 28 September from http://www.refinery29.uk/2017/09/173059/diabulimia-diabetes-eating-disorder-bbc-three-documentary.
[3] Davidson, J. (2014). Diabulimia: how eating disorders can affect adolescents with diabetes. Nursing Standard, 29:2, 44-49.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
We at Eating Disorder Hope understand that eating disorders result from a combination of environmental and genetic factors. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, please know that there is hope for you, and seek immediate professional help.
Published on October 19, 2017.
Reviewed By: Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on October 19, 2017.
Published on EatingDisorderHope.com
The EatingDisorderHope.com editorial team comprises experienced writers, editors, and medical reviewers specializing in eating disorders, treatment, and mental and behavioral health.
