Perception of hunger to insulin-induced hypoglycemia in anorexia nervosa

Objective: We studied the effect of insulin-induced hypoglycemia on changes of hunger ratings in anorectic patients before and after cognitive-behavio ral therapy. Method: The subjects were 17 females with restricting anorexia nervosa at low body weight (AN-R), 6 anorectic patients whose weight was r estored after cognitive-behavioral therapy (AN-T), and 11 age-matched femal e controls. All subjects gave hunger ratings by linear visual analog techni que before and after insulin or saline injection. Results: Hunger ratings i ncreased significantly 45 min after insulin injection in control females. H owever, ratings paradoxically decreased after insulin injection in AN-R fem ales. They increased slightly after insulin injection in AN-T females, but the difference was not statistically significant. One-factor analysis of va riance for the peak values of hunger ratings was significant. These values in control females were significantly higher than those in AN-R and AN-T fe males. Discussion: These results suggest that perception of hunger to insul in-induced hypoglycemia in AN patients is disturbed. (C) 2001 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 29: 354-357, 2001.