title: Weight requirements for catch-up growth in girls with eating disorders and onset of weight loss before menarche.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The current study investigated catch-up in stature in girls with eating disorders and onset of weight loss and stunting of growth before menarche.
  
  
  METHODS
  Forty-six girls were followed with measurements of weight and stature for 2-5 years after presentation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At presentation, the girls were stunted by 0.48 +/- 0.57 standard deviation scores (SDS) for height compared with their prepubertal growth track. Maximal stunting of 0.72 +/- 0.68 SDS was reached after 1 year of treatment despite weight gain. Catch-up growth, that is, increase in height SDS, was achieved during the second to fourth years. Thirty-four girls who reached menarche had normalized weight and reached their prepubertal growth track. In a regression analysis, growth in stature during a year of treatment could be predicted to 50% by age, the weight gain that year, the weight gain the preceding year, and by the weight level at the start of the year. Catch-up growth during a year could be predicted to 26% by the weight gain that year and the weight gain the preceding year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Catch-up growth is possible in girls with eating disorders of premenarcheal onset. Weight gain is necessary for catch-up growth and must start before the ability to grow is lost with age. Once weight gain starts, the full effect on growth in stature takes several years to evolve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden. ingemar.swenne@akademiska.se
authors.forename: Ingemar
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Swenne
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001827:Body Height; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche / Q000523:psychology; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D012016:Reference Values; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015431:Weight Loss