Temporal patterns of hunger and fullness ratings and related cognitions in anorexia and bulimia

Hunger and fullness during an experimental liquid meal were evaluated by ratings in 84 eating-disordered patients, including three diagnostic subgroups, and in 19 controls who were normal in weight and eating healthily. Anorectic-restrictors had lower hunger ratings and higher fullness ratings than controls. The same tendency was present in anorectic-bulimics. These ratings were relatively unaffected by treatment. Anorectic-restrictors had longer meals than the anorectic-bulimics and normal-weight bulimics. The anorectic-restrictors also tended to eat more slowly than did the bulimic patients. These groups did not, however, differ in amount consumed. At the end of the experimental meal, the anorectic-bulimics were more preoccupied with thoughts of food and anorectic-restrictors had a lower urge to eat, as compared with the controls. Hunger and fullness ratings were negatively correlated for all diagnostic groups; however, these correlations were less pronounced for the eating disorder groups. The eating-disordered patients had predominantly "abnormal" patterns of hunger and fullness curves, indicating a confusion of these concepts.