OBJECTIVEGirls and women with type 1 diabetes are at increased risk for developing eating disorders (EDs), and these disorders are associated with serious diabetes-related medical complications. This study describes the longitudinal course of disturbed eating behavior (DEB) and EDs in a cohort with type 1 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSA total of 126 girls with type 1 diabetes receiving care for diabetes at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto participated in a series of seven interview-based assessments of ED behavior and psychopathology over a 14-year period, beginning in late childhood. Survival analysis was used. RESULTSMean age was 11.8 6 1.5 years at time 1 and 23.7 6 2.1 years at time 7. At time 7, 32.4% (23/71) met the criteria for a current ED, and an additional 8.5% (6/71) had a subthreshold ED. Mean age at ED onset (full syndrome or below the threshold) was 22.6 years (95% CI 21.6-23.5), and the cumulative probability of onset was 60% by age 25 years. The average time between onset of ED and subsequent ED remission was 4.3 years (95% CI 3.1-5.5), and the cumulative probability of remission was 79% by 6 years after onset. The average time between remission of ED and subsequent recurrence was 6.5 years (95% CI 4.4-8.6), and the cumulative probability of recurrence was 53% by 6 years after remission. CONCLUSIONSIn this longitudinal study, EDs were common and persistent, and new onset of ED was documented well into adulthood. Further research regarding prevention and treatment for this vulnerable group is urgently needed.The prevalence, clinical characteristics, and medical consequences of disturbed eating behavior (DEB) and eating disorders (EDs) in individuals with type 1 diabetes has received increasing attention since case reports of this dangerous combination were first published in the 1980s (1,2). Although the specificity of this association was initially unclear, systematic research has demonstrated that teenage girls and women with type 1 diabetes are at significantly increased risk of DEB compared with their nondiabetic peers (3). Such DEB includes dieting, fasting, binge-eating, and a range of compensatory and purging behaviors that can directly interfere with optimal diabetes management. A slide set summarizing this article is available online.

Individuals with AN viewed the public as trivializing AN by viewing behaviours as within their control and by attributing eating disorder behaviours solely to socio-cultural factors. Participants believed that the public minimizes the challenges associated with treatment. Findings suggest that clinical interventions targeting stigma are required to counteract perceptions held by service users regarding how others view their illness. "Mental health literacy" interventions are needed for health professionals working with high risk groups likely to avoid seeking help due to fears of stigmatization.