title: Food choice and diet variety in weight-restored patients with anorexia nervosa.
abstract: Anorexia nervosa is a serious psychiatric illness associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Weight-restored females with anorexia nervosa with limited diet variety, assessed by a diet variety score, have been reported to have poor outcomes. Using the same patient cohort, the objective of the current study was to provide a detailed description of the types of foods from which patients restrict variety in their diets. Forty-one weight-restored patients, hospitalized between June 2000 and July 2005, who completed a 4-day food record before discharge were followed for up to 1 year. Patient outcomes were categorized as a success (n=29) or failure (n=12) using Morgan-Russell criteria. Although the total number of foods selected did not differ between the success and failure groups (73±14 vs 74±13, respectively; P=0.741), a significant difference in the total number of different foods was observed: the failure group selected fewer and the success group selected more (43±9 vs 51±7; P=0.005). Outcomes groups also differed significantly in the variety of foods selected from 5 of 17 food groups. Results suggest that a diet limited in total variety and specifically limited in variety from five food groups may be associated with relapse in patients with anorexia nervosa.
authors.affiliation: Columbia University Medical Center, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Eating Disorders Research Unit, 1051 Riverside Drive, Unit 98, New York, NY 10032, USA. js2202@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Schebendach
authors.forename: Laurel E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Mayer
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Devlin
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Attia
authors.forename: Isobel R
authors.initials: IR
authors.lastname: Contento
authors.forename: Randi L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: B Timothy
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002755:Choice Behavior; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004032:Diet / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015930:Diet Records; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009753:Nutritive Value; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult