Survey study, 1987
Does binge eating in bulimia get worse before your period?
Yes, this small study found a modest but statistically significant increase in binge eating during the premenstrual phase in women with bulimia.
What they did
Researchers looked at the link between menstrual cycle phase and how often binge eating happened in 15 normal-weight women with bulimia, whose eating behaviour had not changed on placebo during a medication study.
What they found
There was a modest but statistically significant premenstrual increase in binge eating frequency.
What it means for you
For women with bulimia, the days before a period may be a higher-risk time for binge eating, which could be worth planning extra support around. The study is very small (15 women), gives no exact numbers, and had no comparison group without bulimia.
15
women studied
About the study
- Original title
- Premenstrual exacerbation of binge eating in bulimia
- Authors
- Gladis MM, Walsh BT
- Journal
- The American journal of psychiatry
- Year
- 1987
- Study design
- Survey study
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1176/ajp.144.12.1592
Topics
Related studies
Case-control study, 2003
Do bulimia symptoms change across menstrual cycle phases?
Case-control study, 1997
Are PMDD and eating disorders related?
Systematic review, 2022
Do mental health disorders get worse during the menstrual cycle?
Survey study, 2022
How common are premenstrual symptoms, and do they change with age?
Case-control study, 2020
Do appetite hormones and eating behaviors change differently across the luteal phase in women with PMDD?
Cohort study, 2015
Do genetic influences on emotional eating change across the menstrual cycle?