Optimal nutritional rehabilitation of anorexia nervosa requires more inform
ation concerning actual energy and substrate requirements. To this end, ind
irect calorimetry was performed in female patients (n=34, age 20.9+/-1.2 yr
, body mass index [BMI] 15.6+/-0.2 kg/m(2); mean+/-SEM) soon after commence
ment of refeeding and at the time of discharge from hospital (n=18, BMI 19.
0+/-0.3 kg/m(2)). Healthy female controls (n=18, age 24.6+/-1.3 yr, BMI 21.
6+/-0.6 kg/m(2)) were also tested. Resting energy expenditure (REE) and res
piratory quotient (RQ) were measured in the fasting state, followed by diet
-induced thermogenesis (DIT) and RQ over a 4 h period following a 100 g ora
l glucose load. Compared with post-refeeding patients and controls, pre- re
feeding patients had a high basal RQ and a low REE, with a paradoxically hi
gher DIT (13.2+/-0.9% of REE vs 8.3+/-1.2% and 8.6+/-0.9% in post-refeeding
patients and controls, respectively). RQ values in pre-refeeding patients
exceeded unity following the glucose load, probably reflecting net lipogene
sis, whereas in the post-refeeding patients, post-glucose RQ was similar to
that of controls, suggesting premature curtailment of lipogenesis. These d
ata demonstrate energy wasting in emaciated patients with anorexia nervosa.
Biological repair processes could account for disproportionate energy loss
early in refeeding and there may be some later impediment to full restorat
ion of fat stores. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.