RESTING METABOLIC-RATE AND TOTAL-ENERGY EXPENDITURE IN ACUTE AND WEIGHT RECOVERED PATIENTS WITH ANOREXIA-NERVOSA AND IN HEALTHY-YOUNG WOMEN

Because little is known about energy requirements in anorectic patient s before and after weight gain we measured resting metabolic rate (RMR ) by indirect calorimetry and total energy expenditure (TEE) by the do ubly labeled water method in 6 patients with anorexia nervosa (body ma ss index [BMI] = 15.1 +/- 1.3 kg/m2), in 6 weight-recovered anorectics (BMI = 21.2 +/- 2.1 kg/m2), and in 12 healthy age-matched women (BMI = 20.5 +/- 1.9 kg.m2). No significant differences were found between t he weight-recovered anorectic women and the healthy controls in RMR (1 ,330 +/- 131 kcal/day [weight-recovered]; 1,419 +/- 197 [controls]) an d in TEE (2,602 +/- 637 kcal/day [weight-recovered]; 2,596 +/- 493 kca l/day [controls]). The RMR was significantly lower in the acutely ill anorectic patients (1,171 +/- 113 kcal/24 hr) than in weight-recovered anorectics and in healthy controls. The TEE was significantly lower i n the anorectic group (1,946 +/- 192 kcal/day) than in the healthy con trols. (C) 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.