Eating disorders among adolescents in an unselected French population

As part of an epidemiological study concerning young people and their health, adolescents between the ages of 12–19 (n = 3288) were asked to fill out a questionnaire concerning their eating habits. Repeated eating binges, use of a strategy in order to control weight, preoccupation with body shape, and feelings of selfdepreciation following binges indicated the incidence of bulimia to be 0.7% (0.2% boys and 1.1% girls) according to DSM-III-R diagnostic criteria, and 1.3% (0.6% boys and 1.9% girls) according to DSM-III criteria. A larger group of subjects presenting eating disorders symptoms, although not necessarily all diagnostic criteria for bulimia, was identified and studied also. Somatic problems, fatigue, and difficulties in sleeping, as well as depressive symptoms appear more frequent within the group of those who present bulimic behaviors than in the group of those who do not.