Patterns of eating and abstinence in women treated for bulimia nervosa

OBJECTIVE: The current study sought to determine whether there is an optimal pattern of eating leading to cessation of binge eating and purging in bulimic women. METHOD: Data on the number of meals and snacks consumed were obtained from the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE) pretreatment and posttreatment, for individuals participating in a randomized controlled study comparing cognitive-behavioral therapy and interpersonal therapy. Records were available for 158 participants. RESULTS: The numbers of meals and snacks eaten from pretreatment to posttreatment increased significantly. A pattern of eating with at least 80 meals combined with at least 21 afternoon snacks within a 28-day period was associated with an abstinence rate of 70%. In contrast, for subjects having 72-80 meals, those having greater than 11 evening snacks have an abstinence rate of 4%. CONCLUSION: The critical elements of the pattern of eating related to abstinence appear to be the total number of meals consumed and the timing of snacks.