Disordered Eating and Weight Changes after Deployment: Longitudinal Assessment of a Large U.S. Military Cohort

Scores were compared on a self-report measure of disordered eating in a sample of Service members who either: deployed with combat exposure, deployed without combat exposure, or did not deploy. The focus of the study was to determine whether deployment or combat exposure were associated with disordered eating or extreme weight change. Findings indicate that combat exposure was associated with an increased risk of new-onset disordered eating among participants who were Caucasian, young, Active Duty, and in the Marine Corps, particularly for those with a reported prior mental disorder diagnosis. Only women were at-risk for extreme weight loss following combat exposure.