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Macronutrient intake associated with weight gain in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa
Author(s) -
Baskaran Charumathi,
Carson Traci L.,
Campoverde Reyes Karen J.,
Becker Kendra R.,
Slattery Meghan J.,
Tulsiani Shreya,
Eddy Kamryn T.,
Anderson Ellen J.,
Hubbard Jane L.,
Misra Madhusmita,
Klibanski Anne
Publication year - 2017
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.22732
Subject(s) - calorie , weight gain , anorexia nervosa , body mass index , medicine , prospective cohort study , zoology , body weight , endocrinology , physiology , eating disorders , biology , psychiatry
Objective Adolescents and women with anorexia nervosa (AN) are known to severely restrict total calorie and fat intake. However, data are limited regarding specific macronutrient intake associated with weight gain in AN. Objective To prospectively investigate dietary macronutrient composition associated with weight gain in adolescent girls with AN. Method A prospective naturalistic study of 90 girls 12–18 years old; 45 with AN and 45 healthy normal‐weight‐controls over a 6–12‐month period. Participants completed four‐day food diaries and underwent body composition assessment using dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry. Weight gain was defined as a ≥10% increase in body mass index (BMI) from baseline. Results Baseline clinical characteristics did not differ between girls with AN who did not gain weight (AN‐0) versus those who did (AN‐1) over the following 6–12 month period except for percentage of calories from proteins ( p = 0.046). At 6–12 month follow‐up, AN‐1 consumed a lower percentage of total calories from protein ( p = .001), and a higher percentage of total calories from fat ( p = .02) compared to AN‐0. AN‐1 had a significant increase in the percentage of total calories obtained from and poly‐unsaturated‐fatty acids (PUFA) ( p = 0.006) compared to AN‐0, between baseline and follow‐up. Within the AN group, BMI at follow‐up was associated positively with percentage of total calories obtained from fat, MUFA, and PUFA ( p < .05) at 6/12 months, and inversely with the percentage of total calories obtained from carbohydrates and proteins ( p = .03). Discussion Consuming a greater proportion of total calories from fat is associated with weight gain in adolescent girls with AN.