Does Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior Predict Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders (ED) can manifest in different ways and most often develop during adolescence. Anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia, and binge eating are just some of the problems that teens struggle with when they develop eating and food issues. Existing research has demonstrated a link between obsessive-compulsive behaviors and disordered eating, but little attention has been given to how the presence of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in children affects the development of ED in adolescence.
The results of this study add to the existing evidence suggesting that childhood OCD does increase the risk of developing ED in adolescence. The preliminary evidence suggests that, in the context of a child/adolescent exhibiting OCD symptoms, girls, those with a family history of ED, and children presenting with disordered eating or food-related obsessions and compulsions might be at particular risk for developing a later ED.
