Is there a basis for a weight cut-off point? A large-scale investigation of atypical anorexia and anorexia nervosa subtypes among patients at a residential treatment centre.

OBJECTIVE: There is debate surrounding how to differentiate between anorexia nervosa (AN) and atypical AN (atypAN) as diagnostic entities, and whether a distinction based on BMI is warranted. Better understanding eating disorder (ED) and emotional symptoms across atypAN and AN subtypes [AN-restricting (AN-R), AN-binge/purge (AN-BP)], with and without controlling for BMI, can elucidate how atypAN differs from AN subtypes and whether there is a basis for a BMI cut-off. METHODS: 1810 female patients at an ED treatment centre completed intake surveys. ANCOVAs assessed differences across AN-R (n = 853), AN-BP (n = 726), and atypAN (n = 231) groups on ED, depressive, and anxiety symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, experiential avoidance, and mindfulness, with and without controlling for BMI. RESULTS: Relative to AN-R, atypAN and AN-BP groups endorsed significantly higher ED and depressive symptoms, anxiety sensitivity, experiential avoidance, and significantly lower mindfulness (all p < 0.001), but atypAN and AN-BP groups did not differ from one another. When controlling for BMI, all previously significant differences between atypAN and AN-R did not remain significant. CONCLUSION: Individuals with atypAN who have a higher BMI experience more pronounced ED and emotional symptoms, suggesting that relying solely on BMI as a marker of illness severity may be problematic.

A comparison of traditional and developmental measures of weight suppression in residential patients with bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE: Weight suppression (WS) is associated with many eating disorder (ED)-related symptoms. However, traditional calculations of WS do not consider the age or height at which one's highest past weight was reached. Lowe et al. (2022) found that developmental WS (DWS) was associated with a wider variety of ED-related symptoms compared with traditional WS (TWS). This study replicated and extended these findings in a larger sample of individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN) at a residential ED treatment center. METHODS: Participants were 1051 female patients with BN. We examined the relations between each WS measure and ED symptoms, emotional symptoms, and weight history variables. RESULTS: TWS and DWS showed a similar number of relations with ED-related symptoms. DWS was positively related to behavioral symptoms (e.g., vomiting), and negatively related to cognitive symptoms (e.g., weight/eating concern). TWS was positively related to highest premorbid, highest postmorbid, and lowest postmorbid weights. DWS was also positively related to highest premorbid z-scored body mass index (zBMI), but negatively related to lowest and highest postmorbid zBMI. CONCLUSIONS: DWS, relative to TWS, may better capture the psychobiological impact of the weight discrepancy that a measure of WS is meant to reflect. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: Weight suppression, the difference between an individual's past highest weight and current weight, is significantly related to many ED-related symptoms. This study found that a new weight suppression measure, based on expected weight-for-height during physical development, relates to ED characteristics in a different manner from the traditional measure of weight suppression, showing positive associations with behavioral symptoms and negative associations with cognitive symptoms.

The unique and moderated relationships across repetitive negative thinking and disordered eating behaviors in adolescent girls.

OBJECTIVE: Repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is associated with eating disorder (ED) symptoms, but few studies have evaluated how RNT may relate to specific ED behaviors (e.g., fasting, binge eating). Furthermore, little research has examined RNT in adolescent girls, a critical population for ED development. Concern over mistakes perfectionism (i.e., preoccupation with and overvaluation of errors) and social appearance anxiety are transdiagnostic risk factors for EDs that may be amplified by RNT, contributing to the development of ED behaviors. METHOD: The current study (N = 332 female high school students) explored RNT in an adolescent sample and tested whether RNT was uniquely associated with fasting/binge eating and moderated the relationships between social appearance anxiety/perfectionism and fasting/binge eating. RESULTS: RNT was not associated with fasting and did not significantly moderate the relationship between social appearance anxiety/perfectionism and fasting. RNT was positively associated with binge eating but did not moderate the relationship between social appearance anxiety/perfectionism and binge eating. CONCLUSIONS: RNT may contribute differentially to specific ED behaviors such as fasting and binge eating during ED development. If replicated in prospective data, these findings suggest targeting RNT in adolescence may decrease binge eating.

Network investigation of eating disorder symptoms and positive and negative affect in a clinical eating disorder sample.

OBJECTIVE: Growing literature suggests that emotions influence the maintenance of eating disorder (ED) symptoms. However, most research has studied the relationship between ED symptoms and affect broadly (i.e., negative affect [NA], positive affect [PA]), rather than examining models comprised of multiple specific affective states (e.g., upset, proud). METHOD: The current study (N = 196 individuals with EDs) used network analysis to examine the most interconnected (i.e., central) NA and PA states in EDs and test the complex associations between specific NA, PA, and ED symptoms. We estimated two networks: one with affective states only and another with affective states and ED symptoms. RESULTS: Feeling distressed, afraid, attentive, and determined were the most central symptoms in the affect-only network. ED symptoms related to overvaluation of weight and shape, including affect-based ED symptoms (i.e., guilt about eating), were central in the network of affect and ED symptoms. Guilt about eating and shame were central bridge symptoms across affect and ED symptom clusters, meaning that they were each strongly connected across clusters, and may represent important pathways among affect and ED symptoms. DISCUSSION: Limitations include the cross-sectional and between-person nature of these analyses, from which we cannot derive causal or within-persons processes. Clinical interventions that target central and bridge symptoms (e.g., fear, shame) may disrupt the reinforcing cycle of NA in EDs that may contribute to ED behaviors. Future research should examine relationships among affective states and ED symptoms in longitudinal and intraindividual network models to develop more effective treatments for EDs.

A network investigation of core symptoms and pathways across duration of illness using a comprehensive cognitive-behavioral model of eating-disorder symptoms.

BACKGROUND: In the past decade, network analysis (NA) has been applied to psychopathology to quantify complex symptom relationships. This statistical technique has demonstrated much promise, as it provides researchers the ability to identify relationships across many symptoms in one model and can identify central symptoms that may predict important clinical outcomes. However, network models are highly influenced by node selection, which could limit the generalizability of findings. The current study (N = 6850) tests a comprehensive, cognitive-behavioral model of eating-disorder symptoms using items from two, widely used measures (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire and Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory). METHODS: We used NA to identify central symptoms and compared networks across the duration of illness (DOI), as chronicity is one of the only known predictors of poor outcome in eating disorders (EDs). RESULTS: Our results suggest that eating when not hungry and feeling fat were the most central symptoms across groups. There were no significant differences in network structure across DOI, meaning the connections between symptoms remained relatively consistent. However, differences emerged in central symptoms, such that cognitive symptoms related to overvaluation of weight/shape were central in individuals with shorter DOI, and behavioral central symptoms emerged more in medium and long DOI. CONCLUSIONS: Our results have important implications for the treatment of individuals with enduring EDs, as they may have a different core, maintaining symptoms. Additionally, our findings highlight the importance of using comprehensive, theoretically- or empirically-derived models for NA.

Avoidance coping during mealtimes predicts higher eating disorder symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by significant anxiety during mealtime that contributes to food avoidance and weight loss. Individuals with EDs commonly use avoidance coping (e.g., distraction) to tolerate meals and comply with meal plans. Although this strategy may be effective short term, a large body of anxiety literature suggests that avoidance can lead to worsening of psychological symptoms long term. METHOD: The current study (N = 66 individuals diagnosed with ED) used ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to examine the short-term and long-term associations of avoidance coping on ED symptoms. RESULTS: Distraction during meals predicted a reduction in anxiety in the short term, and both distraction and avoidance of emotions predicted increases in excessive exercise in the short term. Distraction and avoidance of emotions predicted increases in bulimic symptoms 1 month after completion of EMA. DISCUSSION: These results are consistent with prior literature on avoidance and suggest that avoidance coping during meals may contribute to the increase of ED behaviors in the long term. Coping strategies that encourage approach and tolerance of difficult thoughts and emotions (e.g., acceptance-based strategies) rather that avoidance coping may promote longer-term symptom reduction.