Having an eating disorder is a real issue and so is having type 1 diabetes, what if you had both? What if you developed an eating disorder while taking care of your type 1 diabetes? This eating disorder is called Diabulimia. Although it is not recognized in the mental health field yet, it is a real issue that affects 4 out of ten women and 1 out of 10 men between the ages of 15 and 30.
Many times people who are taking insulin to treat their diabetes experience weight gain. Most of the time this weight gain is water retention. What they do not realize is the weight they gained from insulin will go away on its own. Sometimes taking a water pill helps eliminate this water retention. Weight gain is frustrating, especially if you are trying to lose weight. Diabulimia happens when there is a break down of communication between the medical team and the individual which leads them to reduce or stops taking their insulin in order to lose the weight they gained.
That being said here is how someone develops Diabulimia:
- Having to carefully read food labels
- Focus on weight when you see the doctor
- Having to eat to treat low blood sugar levels which can cause weight gain.
- Being constantly aware of carbs and calories in food and drinks
- Feeling shame over how you manage your diabetes
- A bad relationship with your health care team
- Difficulty keeping a healthy weight
No matter what type of diabetes type 1 or type 2 there are real consequences if your diabetes is not treated.
These consequences are:
- Your blood sugars don’t come down and you develop Ketoacidosis which is fatal
- The nerves in your eyes cause you to go blind
- Damage to the kidneys
- Damage to the nerves in the body including hands and feet
- Numbness in hands and feet
- Sugar in urine
- Confusion
- Dehydration
- Muscle loss
- Bacterial skin infections
- Wounds that do not heal
- Yeast infections
- Staph infections
- Peripheral Arterial Disease
- Atheroscelerosis
- Low sodium levels
- Low potassium levels
- Coma
- Death
I know we are bombarded with losing weight so we will be healthy. Sometimes it might feel like “losing weight” is thrown out at us like this magic pill that will fix all our health issues, but in reality that is not the truth. Yes, being overweight complicates things, but losing weight is not a cure to health issues like type 1 diabetes. I agree losing weight when you are obese is a good idea. It makes life easier. But getting in the mind frame that if I lose weight and keep it off then I am not going to be a diabetic anymore and I will not have health issues is not an honest approach to wellness. The idea of having a wellness plan is to keep strong and control weight gain in order to live well even though we have health issues, is a mindset that leads to better overall wellness.
Here are the signs that someone may have Diabulimia:
- Feels tired all the time
- Thirsty a lot
- Always thinking and talking about body image
- Has a high a1c
- Depression
- Moody
- Keeps their diabetes a secret
- Cancels appointments with their wellness team
- Has a ton of stress
- Hair loss
- Dry skin
- Sweet smelling breath (this can be ketoacidosis)
- Exercising way too much
If you or someone you know has Diabulimia I want you to know that there are options for help for you. The first step is to make an appointment with your endocrinologist and get everything checked out. I want to encourage you to do this. Then I want you to be honest with your primary doctor and explain that you want referrals for specialists that can help you.
- A diabetes counselor
- A nurse to check on your progress
- Nutritionist who specializes eating disorders
- Psychologist
- A social worker
Diabetes is a serious condition and it needs to be managed. Being scared and feeling guilt and shame is a normal part of getting a diagnosis of diabetes. Counseling helps. I see one for my diabetes and my other chronic illnesses.
We at Wellness Works NW would love to be a part of your wellness team and help you take a hard look at your meal plans and exercise routine to make sure it is safe and reasonable but not over zealous.
Be well!
Here are some links I would like to share with you:
- Diabulimia And Diabetes by Diabetes UK Staff
- Understanding Diabulimia — Know the Signs and Symptoms to Better Counsel Female Patients by Janice H Dada, MPH, RD, CSSD, CDE, CHES for Today’s Dietitian
- What is Diabulimia? by Beyond Type 1 Staff
- What Is Diabulimia? by WebMD Staff
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Image Credit: Diabulimia by National Eating Disorders Association Staff
- Video Credit: What is diabulima? By Diabetes UK on YouTube
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Jamie Holloway is a co-owner of Wellness Works NW and she is also our Research Manager and writes our Chasing Wellness with Jamie Holloway and Dear Jamie columns. Jamie is also an Independent Wellness Advocate at dōTERRA. She lives in the Portland, Oregon area. Since October 2011 she has been sharing her Journey Toward Health and Wellness with Vasculitis through her blog at JamieChasesButterflies.com. We hope you are as inspired as we are with the raw candor Jamie uses in her writing. If you would like to help support Jamie’s writing efforts please Donate now.
