What is diabulimia?

What is diabulimia?

Diabulimia is a life-threatening eating disorder in which a person with Type 1 diabetes withholds insulin in order to lose weight. People who have diabulimia may have any number of disordered eating behaviors, such as purging, or they may only reduce or withhold their insulin dosages and otherwise have healthy eating patterns.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disease in which your immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells in your pancreas. People with T1D need to inject synthetic insulin in order to live and manage their blood glucose (sugar) levels. Taking smaller-than-needed doses of insulin or no insulin at all can lead to severe health consequences, such as diabetes-related ketoacidosis (DKA) and diabetes complications.

The name “diabulimia” is a bit misleading because not all people who have it binge eat, which is the defining feature of bulimia nervosa. Nonetheless, the term “diabulimia” is widely used to describe restricting insulin in order to lose weight. Diabulimia is also known as an “eating disorder in diabetes mellitus Type 1 (ED-DMT1).” Just like anyone else, people with diabetes can also have eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia, without withholding insulin.

Diabulimia is a serious condition that requires treatment. A lack of insulin and persistently high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) can lead to dangerous health problems and even death.