FOOD SELECTION IN ANORECTICS AND BULIMICS - FOOD ITEMS, NUTRIENT CONTENT AND NUTRIENT DENSITY

Objective: The food selection and nutrient intake were investigated in women with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and controls. Methods: D ietary data was obtained by 24-hour recall, and 7-day recording among eating disordered patients, and by 3-day registration among controls. Results: The intake of energy and nutrients differed from controls, as expected, while there were no differences between anorectics and buli mics in this respect, except for iron. There were only minor differenc es among the three groups studied with respect to nutrient density. En ergy percentages of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, were similar in a ll groups, but a subdivision of the macronutrients into respective sou rces showed that bulimics had a lower relative and absolute intake of carbohydrates from bread and cereals than anorectics and controls. Con clusion: Eating disorder patients, despite their marginal food intake, still met the minimum requirement for most nutrients according to the Nordic Nutrient recommendations. Abbreviations: AN = anorexia nervosa , AN/BN = anorectic bulimics, BMI = body mass index, BN = bulimia nerv osa, DSM-III-R = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , ED = eating disorder, NNR = Nordic Nutrient Recommendations.