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Weight changes during inpatient refeeding of underweight eating disorder patients

Susan Hart1, Suzanne Abraham, Richard Franklin

  • 1Accredited Practising Dietitian, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Sydney, Royal North Shore Hospital, Australia. susan.hart@sswahs.nsw.gov.au.

European Eating Disorders Review : the Journal of the Eating Disorders Association
|October 2, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Weight gain during inpatient refeeding for eating disorders varies significantly by initial Body Mass Index (BMI). This study highlights the need for personalized refeeding protocols to optimize weight restoration in underweight patients.

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Nutrition
  • Eating Disorder Management
  • Metabolic Research

Background:

  • Inpatient refeeding is crucial for underweight patients with eating disorders.
  • Established protocols guide nutritional rehabilitation, but weight gain patterns require detailed description.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize weight change patterns in patients undergoing inpatient refeeding for eating disorders.
  • To analyze the relationship between initial Body Mass Index (BMI) and weight gain during treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of weight records from 247 patients (414 admissions) between 2000-2006.
  • Patients categorized by initial BMI (< 14.0, 14.1-17.49, 17.5-18.9 kg/m²).
  • Examination of total weight gained, treatment duration, and weekly weight gain rate.

Main Results:

  • Average weekly weight gain rates were 0.77, 0.63, and 0.53 kg/week for the lowest, middle, and highest BMI groups, respectively.
  • 8.1% of patients in the refeeding program did not achieve weight gain.
  • Significant variability in weight gain was observed across patients.

Conclusions:

  • Weight gain during refeeding for eating disorders is highly variable and influenced by initial BMI.
  • Further research is needed to understand factors influencing weight gain and establish optimal refeeding practices.
  • This study provides benchmarks for expected weight gain during non-artificial feeding refeeding programs.
Abstract

Keywords:
anorexia nervosadietitianinpatientrefeedingweight

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