Diabulimia

Diabulimia, a portmanteau of diabetes and bulimia, is an eating disorder in which people with type 1 diabetes deliberately give themselves less insulin than they need, or stop taking it altogether, in order to lose weight. It is also called ED-DMT1 in the United States and T1ED in the United Kingdom. It is not recognized as a formal psychiatric diagnosis in the DSM-5, so the medical literature often speaks instead of disturbed or disordered eating behavior. The article describes causes relating to body image, the regular use of insulin and emotional well-being: insulin can cause weight gain, so restricting it may lead to weight loss, but it also brings the symptoms of uncontrolled high blood sugar, with risks of complications and a shorter life expectancy. Treatment involves cognitive behavioral therapy and support from a team working across diabetes medicine and eating disorders. It is most common in young people, with severe cases tending to occur in women.