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Eating disturbances in siblings of patients with eating disorders

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Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether siblings of patients with eating disorders show a more disturbed eating behavior and a higher proneness to associated psychological characteristics than controls. Method: 84 patients with eating disorders of an outpatient clinic, their siblings (n=84) and a control group (n=84) with an age range 14–34 for the total sample were evaluated using the Eating Disorder Inventory-2. Results: There was no significant difference between the siblings and the controls in disturbed eating behavior. Discussion: The existence of an eating disorder in patients does not seem to be related to the development of eating disturbed behavior in their siblings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Therapy Center for Eating Disorders Munich, Max-Planck-Institute of Psychiatry, Germany

    U. Wunderlich, M. Gerlinghoff & H. Backmund

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  1. U. Wunderlich
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  2. M. Gerlinghoff
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  3. H. Backmund
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Correspondence to U. Wunderlich.

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Wunderlich, U., Gerlinghoff, M. & Backmund, H. Eating disturbances in siblings of patients with eating disorders. Eat Weight Disord 9, 258–263 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325079

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