Early Weight Gain: a Positive Sign in AN Treatment

According to Dr. Marion P. Olmstead of Toronto General Hospital, there is growing evidence that early response to treatment strongly predicts final response to that treatment. Eighty-six patients with diagnoses of anorexia nervosa (AN) reinforced this theory.

The patients were enrolled in a day hospital program for at least 6 weeks. Their mean age was 33.1 years, and the mean duration of illness was 11.1 years. The mean BMI was 15.9.

Weight gain during the first 6 weeks predicted outcome

Weight gain during the first 6 weeks of treatment was significantly associated with outcome. As Dr. Olmstead reported at the Eating Disorders Research Society’s annual meeting in Toronto, planned comparisons showed that the poor outcome group, those who were slow to gain weight at the outset of treatment, differed significantly from the other groups.