A Unique Way to Avoid the Scale

A Swedish clinician has found a sure-fire way to help patients with anorexia nervosa avoid dreaded weigh-ins, even while making certain he closely charts their progress. Dr. Per Kronvall of the Unit for Eating Disorders, University Hospital, Lund, Sweden, uses a small hand-held infrared thermometer to measure body temperature in the ear. Body temperature fluctuates with the amount of food eaten, and Dr. Kronvall has found that such changes in body temperature mirror metabolic changes. He reports that the method is very sensitive for fully grown patients. The measurements taken at the ear help lessen anxiety about being weighed and the possibility of weight gain, which can interfere with treatment.