Personality disorder traits evident by early adulthood and risk for eating and weight problems during middle adulthood.

OBJECTIVE

The current article investigates the association of personality disorder (PD) with the subsequent development of eating and weight problems.

METHOD: Psychiatric interviews were administered to a community-based sample of 658 individuals at mean ages 14, 16, 22, and 33 years.

RESULTS

Individuals with PD by age 22 were at an elevated risk for eating disorders at mean age 33 years. PDs were associated with risk for onset of binge eating, purging, daily dietary restriction, and obesity among individuals without a history of these problems. Borderline and histrionic PD symptoms were associated with recurrent binging and purging at mean age 33 years. Antisocial and schizotypal symptoms were associated with recurrent binging and obesity at mean age 33 years. Depressive PD symptoms were associated with recurrent binging and dietary restriction at mean age 33 years.

CONCLUSION

PD symptoms, evident by early adulthood, may be associated with the risk for the development of eating and weight problems by middle adulthood.