Frequently Asked Questions

What does the term ED-DMT1 mean

In 2008 an international focus group composed of top experts in the field of eating disorders and diabetes recommended that the term ED-DMT1 be used to designate the comorbidity Eating Disorder-Diabetes Mellitus Type 1. This was done to cover the wide spectrum of eating disorder behavior that can exist in Type 1 diabetics in addition to, or outside of insulin omission. 

What are the most signs/symptoms of ED-DMT1?

  • A1c of 9.0 or higher on a continuous basis.
  • Unexplainable weight loss.
  • Constant bouts of nausea and/or vomiting. 
  • Multiple DKA or near DKA episodes.
  • Frequent bladder, yeast, and/or UTI infections.
  • Irregular or lack of menstruation.
  • Deteriorating or blurry vision.
  • Secrecy about diabetes management.
  • Persistent thirst and frequent urination. 
  • Fatigue and/or lethargy.
  • Changes in sleep pattern.
  • Dry hair and skin.
  • Extreme increase or decrease in diet.
  • Avoids diabetes related appointments.
  • Fear of hypoglycemia
  • Fear that “insulin makes me fat”
  • Extreme anxiety about body image
  • Restricting food to lower insulin dosages
  • Avoids eating with family or in public
  • Overly strict food rules
  • Preoccupation with food, weight and/or calories
  • Excessive and/or rigid exercise.​

Why haven't I heard about this from my doctor?

Despite the intense dangers, doctors are wary of classifying diabulimia as an official psychiatric disorder because purging through fluid loss is considered unconventional, and thus it frequently eludes clinical recognition.

What are the complications when I omit my insulin?

The short-term consequences are
  • Muscle atrophy
  • Diabetic Ketoacidosis 
  • Clinical Depression
  • High cholesterol
  • Bacterial Skin Infections 
  • Yeast Infections
  • Menstrual Disruption 
  • Staph Infection 
​
Long term, the consequences become 
  •  Neuropathy 
  • Retinopathy
  • Gastroparesis 
  • ​Liver Disease 
  • Kidney Failure
  • Stroke
  • Death.

Why is this happening to me or my loved one?

  • Research conducted by the Joslin Diabetes Center suggest that 30% of diabetic women between the ages of 15 and 30 manipulate or omit their insulin in order to lose weight.
  • Women with type 1 diabetes have a 2.4 times greater risk of developing an eating disorder than their non-diabetic peers.
  • Some theories suggest that the cause of this greater incidence might be due to the adolescent diabetic’s conscious deprivation of food despite hunger signals, which later triggers binge eating and other dietary anomalies.
  • The intense focus that diabetes places upon nutritional information and the concious restrictions of certain dietary ingredients causes diabetics to be atypically sensitive to the effects of food.
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