Health-related quality of life and eating disorders: a review and update.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to provide a narrative review of empirical studies related to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and eating disorders and to report recent changes in the measurement of HRQOL in eating disorders.

METHOD: Twenty-five articles of central importance to the topic were identified in a systematic search of six databases. All articles were selected based on a consensus relevancy rating process. Key themes were extracted from the articles and validated by all authors.

RESULTS: We identify six themes in the extant empirical literature.

DISCUSSION: We discuss these six themes and review them in light of the fact that they are identified in studies using only generic measures of HRQOL. Four recently developed disease-specific HRQOL measures specific to patients with eating disorder are discussed.