Athletes' Hunger to Win Fuels Eating Disorders

(January 12, 2006) -- Medical problems at birth increase the risk of anorexia and bulimia later, a new study reports.

Babies' early eating difficulties, poor muscle tone, low birth weight and a placenta with defective blood circulation were all associated with eating disorders by the time the children were 16 to 18 years old.

Diabetes and anemia in the mother were also linked to eating disorders in the children, as was preeclampsia, a common maternal syndrome characterized by high blood pressure, fluid retention and kidney problems.

The study, in the January issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry, analyzed the obstetric records of 114 young people with anorexia, 73 with bulimia and 554 others with neither. To prevent bias, the researchers examining the obstetric records did not know which belonged to people with disorders.

If the mother had anemia, the risk of anorexia was more than doubled, and maternal diabetes increased the risk by a factor of four. Babies with early cardiac problems were also more likely to suffer from anorexia later in life, as were those who needed oxygen administered at birth.

Subjects with bulimia were more likely to have had low birth weight, early feeding problems and defective placentas.

"It is important to keep in mind that we are speaking of risk factors, and not causative factors," said Paolo Santonastaso, the senior author and a professor of psychiatry at the University of Padua in Italy. "This means that most babies with obstetric complications will never develop an eating disorder."

Dr. Santonastaso also emphasized the importance of a combination of factors. "We generally think that single complications are less important than the effect of the number of complications," he said.

Source: The Archives of General Psychiatry

Last updated: 01/06

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• Parent-to-Parent Tips on Coping With Your Eating Disordered Child
• What is Body Image and How Do You Improve It
• How Coaches Inspire Eating Disorders - Eating Disorders Center
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• Teens with Eating Disorders Visit Diet Websites

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