Disgust sensitivity in eating disorders: A preliminary investigation

Background: Disgust is a basic emotion that has been relatively neglected i n psychiatry in general and in eating disorders in particular. Nevertheless , there are features of disgust and its: more complex derivatives (e.g., sh ame) which suggest that disgust may have a role To play in earing disorders . Method: Seventy-four patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of anorexia nervosa , bulimia nervosa, eating disorder not otherwise specified, and obese binge eater were compared with 15 control subject on their levels of disgust sen sitivity. Results: Overall, eating disorder patient did not appear to be mo re sensitive to disgust-eliciting stimuli than comparison subjects, althoug h there was a tendency for patients to be more disgusted by body products. However, drive for thinness and bulimia scores were related to higher level s of disgust sensitivity to food death, and magical contagion. General psyc hopathology did not appear to be related to levels of disgust sensitivity. Discussion: Although patient art not move sensitive than controls to the di sgust-eliciting stimuli measured disgust still has a positive relationship to eating disorder symptoms. Future studies will need to examine more preci sely what this relationship might be. (C) 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.