SMOKING AND BULIMIA-NERVOSA

Objective: Little is known about the long-term physical consequences o f bulimia nervosa. Some physical morbidity may result from high rates of cigarette smoking. The aim of the present study was to test three h ypotheses regarding smoking among women with bulimia nervosa. Method: The subjects were 102 women with DSM-IV bulimia nervosa, 204 matched n ormal controls, and 102 matched controls with affective or anxiety dis orders. All three groups were recruited from the same community sample . interview measures were used for diagnosis and for information on sm oking. Results: A higher proportion of the bulimia nervosa cases were smokers than of either comparison group. Of those smokers who had achi eved a period of abstinence, bulimia nervosa cases were more likely th an normal control subjects to have resumed smoking, and more likely to attribute their resumption to concern about their weight. Discussion: Smoking-related morbidity should be assessed in long-term follow-up s tudies of bulimia nervosa. (C) 1998 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.