Elevated Binge Eating and Bulimia Rates in Women With PCOS: Study

The key findings of the study were:

• Out of 1,352 articles identified, 20 studies were included, involving 28,922 women with PCOS and 258,619 controls.
• Women with PCOS had 1.53 times higher odds of having any eating disorder, according to eight studies.
• The increased odds of eating disorders in women with PCOS persisted, particularly in studies where PCOS was diagnosed using the Rotterdam criteria.
• The odds of bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and disordered eating were higher in women with PCOS, but there was no increased risk for anorexia nervosa.
• Women with PCOS also had higher mean disordered eating scores (SMD: 0.52), as shown in 13 studies, even when accounting for normal and higher weight body mass index.

The researchers stressed that their study calls for attention to the risk of disordered eating and eating disorders in women with PCOS, regardless of their weight, with a special emphasis on lifestyle counseling.

Reference

Laura G Cooney, Kaley Gyorfi, Awa Sanneh, Leeann M Bui, Aya Mousa, Chau Thien Tay, Helena Teede, Elisabet Stener-Victorin, Leah Brennan, Increased Prevalence of Binge Eating Disorder and Bulimia Nervosa in Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2024;, dgae462, https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgae462