Risk factors for binge-eating disorders: an exploratory study

OBJECTIVE: This study examined a broad range of childhood risk factors for binge-eating disorders (bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder, BN/BED), utilizing data that had been collected prospectively in the 10-year National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. METHOD: Forty-five women with a history of BED/BN (with onset age > 14 and <20 years) and 1,515 women who did not have a history of an eating disorder were included. RESULTS: Signal detection analysis indicated a single pathway that identified approximately 13% of the BED/BN cases. The pathway was based on an elevated level of perceived stress prior to the age of 14. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that eating disorders may have multiple and complex etiologies. This is the first study to suggest that elevated levels of perceived stress may precede the onset of binge-eating disorders. Whether this is a causal association remains a question.