Purging behaviors and nutritional status in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa

• Published in: Nutrición hospitalaria : organo oficial de la Sociedad Española de Nutrición Parenteral y Enteral Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 253 - 258
• Main Authors: Vaz, F J, García-Herráiz, A, López-Vinuesa, B, Monge, M, Fernández-Gil, M A, Guisado, J A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Spain 01.09.2003
• Subjects: Adult; Anorexia Nervosa - psychology; Bulimia - psychology; Cathartics - administration & dosage; Female; Humans; Nutritional Status
• ISSN: 0212-1611

The aim of the study was to investigate whether the use of purgative methods in patients with eating disorders (anorexia nervosa [AN] and bulimia nervosa [BN]) could be capable of producing changes in the nutritional status of the patients. The group under study was composed of 184 female eating disordered outpatients. One hundred and sixteen patients (63.0%) fulfilled the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for BN (90 purging type, 26 nonpurging type). Sixty eight patients (37.0%) fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for the diagnosis of AN (48 restricting type, 20 binging-purging type). The assessment process included anthropometry (body circumferences and skinfold thickness) and body impedance analysis. The two subgroups of AN patients significantly differed from each of the BN subgroups. From a nutritional point of view, some significant differences between the two DSM-IV subtypes of AN existed, but not between the purging type and the nonpurging type of BN. The paper discusses the clinical significance of these findings. An alternative subtypification of AN patients is proposed: 1) restricting type [patients who control their food intake and do not purge]; 2) purging type [patient with true episodes of binging which are followed by purgative behaviors]; and 3) pseudopurging type [patients with subjective binging episodes who use purging methods].