Recent research has shown that children with diabetes are at higher risk for developing an eating disorder than children without the disease. Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia are beginning to explore the influence of diabetes and its treatment on the development of eating disorders in children.

Treating diabetes usually involves highly restrictive diets and an enormous emphasis on food. Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia plan to study children who are newly diagnosed with diabetes. Researchers will examine "treatment patterns, weight, psychological adjustment, and attitudes about weight and eating," as well as any changes in eating behaviors and blood sugar levels in response to insulin.

Dr. Deborah Young-Hyman, a pediatric psychologist in the MCG Georgia Prevention Institute, who is involved with the study, commented, "Diabetes treatment prescribes obsessive food behavior, such as carbohydrate restriction. ... We want to know if those prescribed behaviors contribute to disordered eating and/or whether there are physiological mechanisms which prevent children with diabetes from controlling their eating behavior. For example, treatment with insulin makes you hungry and can cause you to gain weight."

The study will last for three years. The children and their parents will respond to questionnaires regarding eating patterns and psychological adjustment, including questions about family life, the child's personality, and perception of social attitudes. Dr. Young-Hyman believes that diabetes puts unusual pressure on children.

"As they are diagnosed and are adjusting to diabetes treatment, children are already dealing with all sorts of issues that put them at an increased risk for eating disorders. The psychological issues that come with the diagnosis can add to that risk."

(Source: www.physorg.com)