Polycystic ovaries and eating disorders: Are they related?

A cross-sectional observational study was used to investigate the reported association between polycystic ovarian syndrome and bulimia nervosa in a group of young, post-menarcheal women in the normal population. Volunteers aged 18-25 years were recruited from two universities and two general practice surgeries in Oxford. A total of 230 women completed an interviewer-based eating disorder examination, which was used to diagnose bulimia nervosa and its variants, and to assess eating behaviour. Transabdominal ultrasound was used to diagnose the presence or absence of polycystic ovaries. Symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome were assessed using menstrual history, anthropometric measurements, clinical observation of acne and hirsutism, and biochemical analysis of a fasting blood sample. A total of 30% of all participants described episodes of overeating and 4% had used extreme methods of weight control. Two women were diagnosed with bulimia nervosa, and five women with binge-eating disorder; however, these diagnoses were not associated with polycystic ovaries. Scores for dieting and overall eating disorder symptoms in the polycystic ovary groups were not significantly higher than those for women with normal ovaries, and therefore the suggestion that polycystic ovaries predispose towards the development of eating disorders is not supported by this study.