Associations among binge eating behavior patterns and gastrointestinal symptoms: a population-based study

• Published in: International Journal of Obesity 2009-03, Vol.33 (3), p.342-353
• Main Authors: Cremonini, F, Camilleri, M, Clark, M.M, Beebe, T.J, Locke, G.R, Zinsmeister, A.R, Herrick, L.M, Talley, N.J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; age; Aged; Binge eating; binge eating disorder; binging; Biological and medical sciences; bloat; Body Mass Index; Body size; bulimia; Bulimia - complications; Bulimia - epidemiology; Bulimia - psychology; Complications and side effects; Compulsive eating; Constipation; Control; Diabetes mellitus; Diagnosis; Diarrhea; digestive system diseases; Dysphagia; Eating behavior; Eating behavior disorders; Eating disorders; Epidemiology; Exercise; Feeding Behavior - psychology; Female; Food selection; Gastroesophageal reflux; Gastrointestinal diseases; Gastrointestinal Diseases - epidemiology; Gastrointestinal Diseases - etiology; Gastrointestinal Diseases - psychology; Gastrointestinal symptoms; Gender; Health aspects; Health Promotion and Disease Prevention; Health Surveys; heartburn; Humans; Ingestion; Internal Medicine; Logistic Models; Male; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Metabolic Diseases; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Obesity; Obesity - complications; Obesity - epidemiology; Obesity - psychology; original-article; Pain; patients; Physical activity; Physiological responses; Physiology; Population studies; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public Health; questionnaires; Regression analysis; Regression models; Regurgitation; Risk Assessment; Risk factors; signs and symptoms (animals and humans); Socioeconomics; Surveys and Questionnaires; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0307-0565; 1476-5497
• DOI: 10.1038/ijo.2008.272

Background: The psychological symptoms associated with binge eating disorder (BED) have been well documented. However, the physical symptoms associated with BED have not been explored. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms such as heartburn and diarrhea are more prevalent in obese adults, but the associations remain unexplained. Patients with bulimia have increased gastric capacity. The objective of the study was to examine if the severity of binge eating episodes would be associated with upper and lower GI symptoms. Methods: Population-based survey of community residents through a mailed questionnaire measuring GI symptoms, frequency of binge eating episodes and physical activity level. The association of GI symptoms with frequency of binge eating episodes was assessed using logistic regression models adjusting for age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and physical activity level. Results: In 4096 subjects, BED was present in 6.1%. After adjusting for BMI, age, gender, race, diabetes mellitus, socioeconomic status and physical activity level, BED was independently associated with the following upper GI symptoms: acid regurgitation (P