Hunger perceptions and satiety responses among normal-weight bulimics and normals to a high-calorie,...

The hunger perceptions and satiety responses to a high-calorie, carbohydrate-rich food among 10 normal-weight females who met the DSM-III criteria for bulimia were compared with 10 normal-weight females who denied a current or past history of eating or weight disorders. As indicated by self-report responses on the Hunger-Satiety Questionnaire, bulimics did not differ from the normals in their perceptions of hunger sensations. Differences, however, were detected in the responses following eating. Most notably, the bulimics reported feelings of irritability, nervousness, tenseness and depression which persisted 30 minutes later. These findings and directions for future research are discussed.