Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Eating Disorders 203

Binge eating disorder

Though this disorder is being considered for inclusion in forthcoming ver-
sions of DSM and ICD, it is less researched than either anorexia or bulimia.
In common with bulimia, it involves frequent binge eating with loss of
control. In strong contrast to bulimia, however, extreme weight-control
behaviours such as vomiting or purging are absent or only occasional,
and there is a strong link with obesity. The epidemiology is different
from anorexia and bulimia, with less of a female excess and a peak in
middle age – though it does occur in adolescence too. It seems more
responsive than anorexia and bulimia to treatment, at least in the short
term. Cognitive-behavioural and interpersonal therapies seem promising.

Subject review

Fairburn CG. (2008) Eating disorders.In: Rutter Met al.(eds)Rutter’s
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 5th edn. Wiley-Blackwell, Chichester,
pp. 670–685.

Further reading

Eddy KTet al. (2008) Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified in adoles-
cents.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 47 ,
156–164.
Eisler I.et al. (2007) Family therapy for adolescent anorexia nervosa:
A five year follow-up study of a controlled comparison of two family
interventions.Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 48 , 552–560.
Le Grange D, Eisler I. (2009) Family interventions in adolescent anorexia
nervosa. Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America 18 ,
159–173.