Anorexia Nervosa: Clues to Weight Regain

Are there clinical clues that might predict which patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) will regain weight while attending a day treatment program? Dr. Marion P. Olmsted reported that those who achieved complete weight restoration with day hospital treatment were more attuned to their affective experience, and to feelings of hunger and satiety. They were less self-critical when coping with stressful situations, and also less likely to report stealing in the past. The study included 64 AN patients who attended a 4-day-per-week day hospital program. The patients had a mean BMI on admission of 16.9, and had been ill a mean of 8.3 years. Compared to the other patients, those who regained their weight had lower pretreatment scores on the Interoceptive Awareness subscale of the Eating Disorders Inventory, and lower scores on the Self-Criticism subscale of the Coping Strategies Inventory. The study was reported at the Eating Disorders Research Society meeting in November.