The dangerous coexistence of type 1 diabetes and eating disorders: a call for action

Abstract

Eating disorders are more common among adolescents with type 1 diabetes than in the general peer-group population. This coexistence is often associated with poor glycaemic control and an increased risk of developing severe medical complications. In turn, type 1 diabetes may contribute to the maintenance of eating-disorder psychopathology, and in some cases hinder its treatment. Unfortunately, eating disorders are often not detected by health professionals involved in the management of type 1 diabetes, with negative repercussions on the outcomes of the respective conditions. The increase in the incidence of eating disorders among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, likely also in people with type 1 diabetes, highlights the need to allocate resources for training health professionals involved in the management of type 1 diabetes to detect the early signs of eating disorders with the help of new, specific screening tools. It is also necessary to improve the rapid referral of patients to clinical services that implement the evidence-based treatments recommended for eating disorders, which must work in close contact with the diabetes team. Finally, future research should focus on better identifying the factors that increase the risk of eating disorders in people with type 1 diabetes to prevent the onset of this dangerous, and often undetected, comorbidity.