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. 2011 Nov;44(7):612-7.
doi: 10.1002/eat.20881. Epub 2010 Nov 9.

The relation of weight suppression and BMI to bulimic symptoms

Meghan L Butryn  1 , Adrienne Juarascio, Michael R Lowe
Affiliations

The relation of weight suppression and BMI to bulimic symptoms

Meghan L Butryn et al. Int J Eat Disord. 2011 Nov.

Abstract

Objective: High levels of weight suppression have been associated with greater binge eating and weight gain as well as poorer treatment outcome in bulimia nervosa. This study examined the relationship between weight suppression and bulimia nervosa symptoms and explored how weight suppression might interact with body mass index (BMI) in accounting for level of symptomatology at presentation for treatment.

Method: Participants were 64 women with threshold or sub-threshold bulimia nervosa. A clinical interview assessed binge eating and purging.

Results: Weight suppression and the interaction between BMI and weight suppression predicted frequency of binge eating such that participants with low BMI and high weight suppression engaged in the most binge eating. High levels of weight suppression also predicted more frequent purging.

Discussion: Additional research is warranted to examine mediators of these relationships.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 1 shows how frequency of binge eating in the previous month varies according to participants’ BMI and level of weight suppression. Participants with low BMI and high weight suppression had binge eating rates more than twice as high as those in the other three groups (all p-values < .05).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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