Activity-based anorexia during adolescence does not promote binge eating during adulthood in female rats

Given the frequency of transition from anorexia nervosa to bulimia nervosa, this study investigated whether a history of activity-based anorexia (ABA) during adolescence would promote binge eating during adulthood in female rats.

Adolescent rats were given 1-h unlimited access to chow and ad libitum access to a running wheel until body weight reached <80%, indicating the development of ABA. During adulthood, all groups were given 21 days of access to a palatable food for 2 h/day and ad libitum access to chow.

During adolescence, rats in the ABA paradigm developed increased wheel running and decreased food intake, reaching <80% of body weight after 3 days. However, there were no significant differences between groups in the amount of binge food consumed during adulthood.

A brief episode of ABA during adolescence did not lead to increased binge eating later in life. Longer-term models are needed to determine whether a propensity toward binge eating may result from more sustained ABA during adolescence.