title: Relative importance of calorie intake needed to gain weight and level of physical activity in anorexia nervosa.
abstract: We assessed whether level of physical activity of anorexia nervosa patients could influence caloric consumption needed to gain weight during hospitalization. Seventy-three percent of patients with anorexia nervosa had higher levels of motor activity than did healthy female volunteers. Anorectics required 8301 +/- 2272 kcal (mean +/- SD) to gain 1 kg body wt. Activity levels and caloric consumption needed to gain 1 kg were significantly correlated; the most active patients needed to consume more calories to gain weight. A median split of anorectic patients by level of activity showed that the group with lower activity levels gained 1 kg every 5.1 +/- 1.2 d, whereas the group with higher activity levels gained 1 kg every 7.2 +/- 1.9 d. These data suggest that the rate of weight gain can be accelerated, and the cost of hospitalization decreased, by restricting exercise in anorectics during refeeding.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, PA.
authors: W H
authors: WH
authors: Kaye
authors: H E
authors: HE
authors: Gwirtsman
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Obarzanek
authors: D T
authors: DT
authors: George
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000178:diet therapy*; D001835:Body Weight; D002149:Energy Intake; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D005082:Physical Exertion