Choice of diet in patients with anorexia nervosa.
OBJECTIVE
To analyse the diets chosen by anorexic patients and a control group, assessing several nutritional aspects.


METHODS
Forty-four outpatients with an initial diagnosis of restrictive anorexia nervosa (normal BMI at the time of the study) and 34 undergraduates chose their diet from a list of common foods. Nutritional content, frequency of consumption, and influence of illness and treatment duration on the diet chosen were all analysed.


RESULTS
Patients' diets had a lower caloric content (P = 0.01). Their diets were also lower in niacin (P = 0.03), vitamin B12 (P = 0.04), sodium (P = 0.003), zinc (P = 0.04), phosphorus, copper and selenium (P = 0.01). Frequency of consumption was lower among patients for bread and cereals, meat and cured meats (P = 0.01), sweet foods (P = 0.001), and fatty and fried foods (P = 0.05), but higher for vegetables (P = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients tend to maintain some characteristic eating patterns and modify others, not so much in terms of therapeutic objectives but, rather, as a way of following more closely the usual eating patterns of the context.
Jáuregui Lobera
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I
Departamento de Biología Molecular e Ingeniería Bioquímica, Area de Nutrición y Bromatología, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, España. ijl@tcasevilla.com
Bolaños Ríos
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P
D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences; D006801:Humans; D055809:Illness Behavior; D008297:Male; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000032:analysis; D018673:Nutrition Policy; D013030:Spain; D014675:Vegetables; D014815:Vitamins; D055815:Young Adult
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D018977:Micronutrients; D014815:Vitamins