Adolescents with irritable bowel syndrome report increased eating-associated symptoms, changes in dietary composition, and altered eating behaviors: a pilot comparison study to healthy adolescents

Abstract

Background

About half of adult irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients report symptoms with eating and disordered eating habits. However, little is known about eating in adolescent IBS patients, a common age at which eating disorders develop. The aim of the study was to investigate if adolescents with IBS are more likely than healthy controls (HCs) to experience eating-associated symptoms (EAS), report disordered eating patterns, and show differences in diet composition.

Methods

A total of 99 adolescents between 15 and 21 years-of-age participated (n = 48 IBS; n = 51 HCs). All subjects completed three 24-h dietary recalls and questionnaires on EAS and disordered eating.

Key Results

IBS patients were more likely to report EASs than HC (91.7% vs 28%, p < 0.001). Eating-associated symptoms were controlled by avoiding the offending food (97.7%), not eating any food even when hungry (43.2%), or vomiting after eating (13.6%). Compared to HC, IBS patients reported reduced daily intake of overall calories (1828 vs 2139; p < 0.05), fat (65.4 g vs 81.4 g, p < 0.05), and lactose (8.2 g vs 12.8 g, p < 0.01). No differences were found between IBS and HC in screening for disordered eating patterns or BMI, though IBS patients endorsed using potentially unhealthy eating behaviors in an attempt to control symptoms.

Conclusions & Inferences

Eating-associated symptoms are very common in adolescents with IBS and associated with changes in eating behaviors and dietary composition. They do not appear to change BMI and risk for eating disorders. More research is needed to guide adolescents with IBS in making appropriate dietary changes to control EASs.

Adolescence is a common age at which disordered eating patterns develop, but little is known about eating habits in adolescents with IBS. This study found that more than 90% of BS patients age 15–21 reported eating-associated symptoms and over 40% reported disordered eating patterns such as skipping meals and vomiting to avoid IBS symptoms. IBS patients also ate fewer calories, fat, and lactose than healthy adolescents, but were not at increased risk for disordered eating to lose weight.

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