Eating Disorders in Women with PCOS: What Clinicians Should Know
Increased Risk of Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorders
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal disorder that affects women of reproductive age. A recent study found that women with PCOS have a higher risk of developing eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.
Why is this Important?
Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that can have devastating consequences for both physical and mental health. They are characterized by abnormal eating behaviors, such as severely restricting food intake, binge eating, or purging. Eating disorders can lead to malnutrition, heart problems, bone loss, and even death.
Awareness of the increased risk of eating disorders in women with PCOS is important for clinicians so that they can screen for and diagnose these disorders early on. Early intervention can help to prevent the development of serious health problems.
What are the Risk Factors?
The exact cause of eating disorders is not fully understood, but there are a number of risk factors that have been identified, including:
- Female sex
- Adolescence or young adulthood
- Family history of eating disorders
- History of trauma or abuse
- Low self-esteem
- Perfectionism
- Weight concerns
- Dieting
- PCOS
Women with PCOS are more likely to have some of these risk factors, such as weight concerns, dieting, and low self-esteem. This may help to explain their increased risk of developing eating disorders.
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