Eating behavior following stress in women with and without bulimic symptoms.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the effects of an interpersonal stressor on subsequent calorie intake in females with (N = 20) and without (N = 20) significant bulimic symptomatology.


METHODS
Subjects participated in two laboratory sessions that differed according to experimental condition (stress versus no stress), completed self-report measures of mood and anxiety before and after the experimental task, and were provided with an array of snack foods after each session.


RESULTS
Counter to the hypothesis, women with bulimic symptoms did not differentially increase their intake when exposed to stress. However, results for the intake of each macronutrient indicated that both bulimic and control women increased their consumption of carbohydrates following the stressor. Thus, stress was related to increased carbohydrate consumption by all subjects but did not differentially affect the consumption of women with bulimic symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
It may be that women with bulimic symptoms are not differentially vulnerable to eating in response to stress or that current laboratory paradigms are unable to detect differences in eating following a stressor.
Levine
M D
MD
University of Pittsburgh, USA.
Marcus
M D
MD
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002149:Energy Intake; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates