We tend to associate eating disorders with teenagers and young adults despite research showing that people often experience different types of eating disorders at different points in their life. In the last few years, there has been increasing awareness of how anorexia and bulimia affect older adults, but very little attention to binge eating among this group. A new study released online this week is the first to examine binge eating among the elderly.
The study, to be published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, examined a small group of people 65-years and older who all met criteria for Binge Eating Disorder. The participants were 20 adults, ages 65-77 years-old, who were mostly white women (though we know binge eating affects men and other races at high rates).
The elderly, like younger people with binge eating, described having weight problems even before they started binge eating regularly. Most of the elderly (65%) said they had tried over 5 diets in their lifetime (read more about how dieting relates to binge eating). When asked for reasons why they binge eat, the most common ones given were boredom (80%), habit (75%), and lack of willpower (75%).
Depression was also common among the elderly adults in this study, at a rate similar to younger adults who binge eat. The researchers note that this was surprising given that elderly people tend to experience less depression than younger adults.
Are you an older adult who can relate to the people in this study or do you have family members with similar patterns? Physicians and family members may not think to ask the elderly about possible binge eating, especially given that it’s a behavior often done in secret. Talking about the issue can be an important step towards healthier eating.
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Dr. Gupta is a professor at Barnard College of Columbia University and provides individual therapy at Tribeca Psychology
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