The loss of control in bulimia nervosa

The sense of loss of control that accompanies the binge-eating episodes in bulimia nervosa is pathognomonic for the disorder. This experiment, with bulimics and control subjects, examined the role of cognitive and of dietary factors in an increased appetite. Subjects were required to eat a breakfast that was high or low in carbohydrate, with and without knowledge of its contents. When bulimics knew they had had a breakfast containing carbohydrate, they ate significantly more at the rest meal 3 h Inter. Knowledge had no similar effect on controls. Moreover, the higher intake was largely accounted for in terms of carbohydrate; there were no differences in the amount of protein they ate. These findings art: discussed in terms of their implications for understanding and Sor treating the loss of control in bulimia nervosa. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.