Prevalence of eating disorders in middle‐aged women

Abstract

Objective: Little is known about the prevalence and correlates of eating disorders (ED) in middle-aged women. Method: We mailed anonymous questionnaires to 1,500 Austrian women aged 40-60 years, assessing ED (defined by DSM-IV), subthreshold ED, body image, and quality of life. We broadly defined "subthreshold ED" by the presence of either (1) binge eating with loss of control or (2) purging behavior, without requiring any of the other usual DSM-IV criteria for frequency or severity of these symptoms. Results: Of the 715 (48%) responders, 33 [4.6%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.3-6.4%] reported symptoms meeting full DSM-IV criteria for an ED [bulimia nervosa 5 10; binge eating disorder 5 11; eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS) 5 12]. None displayed anorexia nervosa. Another 34 women (4.8%; CI: 3.4-6.6%) displayed subthreshold ED. These women showed levels of associated psychopathology virtually equal to the women with full-syndrome diagnoses. Discussion: ED appear common in middle-aged women, with a preponderance of binge eating disorder and EDNOS diagnoses as compared to the "classical" diagnoses of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Interestingly, middle-aged women with even very broadly defined subthreshold ED showed distress and impairment comparable to women with fullscale ED. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Medical outcomes for adults hospitalized with severe anorexia nervosa: An analysis by age group

“…( Table 2) We observed no statistical difference across the three age groups on the clinical measures of nadir BMI, nadir %IBW, discharge BMI, and discharge %IBW (all p > 0.05). When body composition testing was performed during hospitalization, lean mass, and fat mass were not statistically different among the age groups (F (2,54) 5 0.59, p = 0.556; KW (2) 5 0.347, p = 0.084; respectively). Body mass measures were available for 33 patients (42%) in the <30 group, 12 patients (38%) in the 30-to 40-year-old group, and 12 patients (38%) in the >40 group.…”

Eating disorders in older women

“…Another European population-based study reported a 0.17% lifetime risk of AN in woman above 45 years [ 5 ]. An American study assessing weight and eating disorders symptoms in 1849 women aged 50 and above, found that 1.6% of them were underweight (<18.5 kg/m2) [ 7 ]. It has not been established whether presentations of AN in middle aged and older women represent a continuation of a lifelong illness or late age onset of the disease.…”

“…Mangweth-Matzek et al [7] who studied a group of 715 middle-aged women found that 4.6% of women reported symptoms meeting the full DSM-IV criteria for EDs (BN, BED, EDOS). None displayed AN.…”

“…This study revealed that about 13% of the sample endorsed some form of core current EDs symptom. The most commonly endorsed symptoms were current binge eating (3.5%) and purging in the absence of binge eating in the past five years (7.8%) [7].…”

Eating disorders in adult women: biopsychosocial, developmental, and clinical considerations

“…Research also demonstrates that eating disorders are increasingly affecting middle-aged and older people (Brandsma, 2007). A recent study, on the prevalence of eating disorders in middle-aged women, aged 40-60, found that 4.6% met the full criteria for a clinical eating disorder, while another 4.8% met the subthreshold standards, with these two groups reporting the same degree of psychopathology, distress, and impairment (Mangweth-Matzek et al, 2014). This suggests that even subclinical eating disorders have a significant impact on the well-being of adult women and require professional attention.…”