FOOD CRAVINGS IN WOMEN WITH A HISTORY OF ANOREXIA-NERVOSA

Objective: The objective of the present study was to determine the pre valence and characteristics of food cravings in women with a history o f anorexia nervosa. Method: One hundred one control women selected at random and 64 women with a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa 10 to 14 year s earlier (cases) completed the Diagnostic interview for Genetic Studi es, a food craving questionnaire, the Temperament and Character Invent ory and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire. Results: A similar prop ortion of cases and controls reported food cravings. A greater proport ion of cases reported strong cravings with two or more features of int ensity (p =.02). Cravings in the cases were more likely to be characte rized by difficulty resisting the craved food (p =.0008), anxiety when the craved food was unavailable (p = .002), and a high frequency of o ccurrence (p =.007). The cases who craved were significantly more like ly to have had lifetime BN (p =.02). Conclusion: A similar prevalence of food craving in cases as in controls suggests that successful contr ol of food intake and/or denial of hunger overrides dietary restrictio n as a precondition for craving in anorexia nervosa. A dysfunction in the serotonergic system, the provision of intermittent reinforcement b y binge episodes, and/or frustration due to unsuccessful attempts at d ietary restraint may mediate the association of cravings with the pres ence of lifetime bulimia. (C) 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.