Altered body fat distribution after recovery of weight in patients with anorexia nervosa

Objective: This study investigated the changes in regional body composition such as bone mineral content, lean body mass, and fat mass in patients wit h anorexia nervosa before and after weight gain. Methods: Body composition was measured before and after weight gain by dual photon absorptiometry in 21 female patients who met the DSM-III-R criteria. Results: Soft mass of th e pelvis, trunk, and upper and lower extremities in patients with anorexia nervosa was remarkably reduced to less than 70% of standard body weight. Af ter restoring normal weight, soft mass of the pelvis and trunk increased re markably and reached the levels of controls, but the soft mass in the upper and lower extremities remained below the control level. As a result, patie nts with anorexia nervosa demonstrated central obesity after weight recover y. Discussion: We briefly discussed the cause of the altered fat distributi on, such as central obesity, in patients with anorexia nervosa after weight recovery. (C) 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.