title: Weight suppression predicts total weight gain and rate of weight gain in outpatients with anorexia nervosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The present study sought to replicate the finding of Wildes and Marcus, Behav Res Ther, 50, 266-274, 2012 that higher levels of weight suppression at pretreatment predict greater total weight gain, faster rate of weight gain, and bulimic symptoms amongst patients admitted with anorexia nervosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were 56 women with anorexia nervosa diagnosed by using strict or lenient weight criteria, who were participating in a randomized controlled psychotherapy trial (McIntosh et al., Am J Psychiatry, 162, 741-747, 2005). Thirty-five women completed outpatient treatment and post-treatment assessment. Weight suppression was the discrepancy between highest lifetime weight at adult height and weight at pretreatment assessment. Outcome variables were total weight gain, rate of weight gain, and bulimic symptoms in the month prior to post-treatment assessment [assessed using the Eating Disorders Examination (Fairburn et al., Binge-Eating: Nature, Assessment and Treatment. New York: Guilford, 1993)].
  
  
  RESULTS
  Weight suppression was positively associated with total weight gain and rate of weight gain over treatment. Regression models showed that this association could not be explained by covariates (age at onset of anorexia nervosa and treatment modality). Weight suppression was not significantly associated with bulimic symptoms in the month prior to post-treatment assessment, regardless of whether bulimic symptoms were examined as continuous or dichotomous variables.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study reinforces the previous finding that weight suppression predicts total weight gain and rate of weight gain amongst patients being treated for anorexia nervosa. Methodological issues may explain the failure of the present study to find that weight suppression predicts bulimic symptoms. Weight suppression at pretreatment for anorexia nervosa should be assessed routinely and may inform treatment planning.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Canterbury District Health Board, Christchurch, New Zealand.|Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Frances A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boden
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Canterbury District Health Board, Christchurch, New Zealand.|Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Unit, Canterbury District Health Board, Christchurch, New Zealand.|Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Virginia V W
authors.initials: VV
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.|Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Cynthia M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Bulik
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Peter R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Joyce
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000628:therapy*; D001835:Body Weight; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010045:Outpatients; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: anorexia nervosa; bulimic symptoms; outcome; outpatient treatment; rate of weight gain; weight gain; weight suppression