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Chewing and spitting out food among eating‐disordered patients
Author(s) -
Kovacs Dora,
Mahon Jennifer,
Palmer Robert L.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.10073
Subject(s) - anorexia nervosa , eating disorders , bulimia nervosa , anorexia , psychology , logistic regression , psychiatry , medicine
Objective The symptom of chewing and spitting out food (CHSP) is fairly common among patients with eating disorders. The purpose of this study is to examine the associations of the symptom in patients with eating disorders. Method Patients who reported CHSP were compared with those who did not. The relationship between CHSP and other symptoms was assessed by logistic regression analysis. Results CHSP was found in 22% of patients. Patients with anorexia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified who reported CHSP showed more severe eating‐related pathology. This was not so for bulimia nervosa patients with CHSP who differed only in reporting greater distortion of body image. Binging was not related to CHSP in any of the diagnostic groups. Discussion CHSP is a common symptom in all groups of patients with eating disorders. The symptom may serve different functions for different patients, depending on diagnosis. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 32: 112–115, 2002.