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Background: The minority of people with an eating disorder receive treatment. Little is known about predictors of receiving treatment., Methods: Using data from the Growing Up Today Study we identified correlates of receiving treatment for an eating disorder among the 1237 U.S. women who answered questions on treatment history in 2013 and reported meeting criteria for subthreshold eating disorder in ≥ 1 year between 1996 and 2013. Logistic regression models using generalized estimating equations were used to estimate the relative odds of receiving treatment., Results: Approximately 11% of the women reported receiving treatment for an eating disorder. Independent of type of eating disorder, those who had received a diagnosis of depression or anxiety were more likely (odds ratio (OR) = 3.05 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.87-4.97) to receive treatment for an eating disorder. Women with obesity were approximately 85% less likely to receive treatment (OR = 0.13, 95% CI 0.04-0.46) regardless of their type of eating disorder or history of depression of anxiety diagnosis., Conclusions: Most women meeting criteria for an eating disorder do not receive treatment. Women with BED or obesity are the least likely to receive treatment., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To investigate the response of anorexigenic oxytocin to food intake among adolescents and young adults with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), a restrictive eating disorder characterized by lack of interest in food or eating, sensory sensitivity to food, and/or fear of aversive consequences of eating, compared with healthy controls (HC)., Design: Cross-sectional., Methods: A total of 109 participants (54 with ARFID spectrum and 55 HC) were instructed to eat a ∼400-kcal standardized mixed meal. We sampled serum oxytocin at fasting and at 30-, 60-, and 120-min postmeal. We tested the hypothesis that ARFID would show higher mean oxytocin levels across time points compared with HC using a mixed model ANOVA. We then used multivariate regression analysis to identify the impact of clinical characteristics (sex, age, and body mass index [BMI] percentile) on oxytocin levels in individuals with ARFID., Results: Participants with ARFID exhibited greater mean oxytocin levels at all time points compared with HC, and these differences remained significant even after controlling for sex and BMI percentile (P = .004). Clinical variables (sex, age, and BMI percentile) did not show any impact on fasting and postprandial oxytocin levels among individuals with ARFID., Conclusions: Consistently high oxytocin levels might be involved in low appetite and sensory aversions to food, contributing to food avoidance in individuals with ARFID., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of European Society of Endocrinology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is associated with increased risk for anxiety, which may adversely affect prognosis. The appetite-stimulating hormone, ghrelin, increases in response to stress, and exogenous ghrelin decreases anxiety-like behaviors in animal models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between ghrelin levels and measures of anxiety in youth with ARFID. We hypothesized that lower ghrelin levels would be associated with increased anxiety symptoms., Methods: We studied a cross-sectional sample of 80 subjects with full and subthreshold ARFID diagnosed by DSM-5 criteria, aged 10-23 years (female, n = 39; male, n = 41). Subjects were enrolled in a study of the neurobiology of avoidant/restrictive eating conducted from August 2016 to January 2021. We assessed fasting ghrelin levels and anxiety symptoms (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory [STAI] and STAI for Children [STAI-C] measuring general trait anxiety; Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI] and BAI for youth [BAI-Y] assessing cognitive, emotional, and somatic symptoms of anxiety; and Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale [LSAS] assessing symptoms of social anxiety)., Results: Consistent with our hypothesis, ghrelin levels were inversely associated with anxiety symptoms as assessed by STAI/STAI-C T scores ( r  = -0.28, P  = .012), BAI/BAI-Y T scores ( r  = -0.28, P  = .010), and LSAS scores ( r  = -0.3, P  = .027), all with medium effect sizes. Findings held in the full threshold ARFID group when adjusting for body mass index z scores (STAI/STAI-C T scores, β = -0.27, P  = .024; BAI/BAI-Y T scores, β = -0.26, P  = .034; LSAS, β = -0.34, P  = .024)., Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that lower levels of ghrelin are associated with more severe anxiety symptoms in youth with ARFID and raise the question of whether ghrelin pathways could be targeted in the treatment of ARFID., (© Copyright 2023 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.)

Background: Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) symptoms are common (up to 40%) among adults with disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), but treatments for this population (DGBI + ARFID) have yet to be evaluated. We aimed to identify initial feasibility, acceptability, and clinical effects of an exposure-based cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for adults with DGBI + ARFID., Methods: Patients (N = 14) received CBT as part of routine care in an outpatient gastroenterology clinic. A two-part investigation of the CBT included a retrospective evaluation of patients who were offered a flexible (8-10) session length and an observational prospective study of patients who were offered eight sessions. Feasibility benchmarks were ≥75% completion of sessions, quantitative measures (for treatment completers), and qualitative interviews. Acceptability was assessed with a benchmark of ≥70% patients reporting a posttreatment satisfaction scores ≥3 on 1-4 scale and with posttreatment qualitative interviews. Mixed model analysis explored signals of improvement in clinical outcomes., Results: All feasibility and acceptability benchmarks were achieved (and qualitative feedback revealed high satisfaction with the treatment and outcomes). There were improvements in clinical outcomes across treatment (all p's < .0001) with large effects for ARFID fear (-52%; Hedge's g = 1.5; 95% CI = 0.6, 2.5) and gastrointestinal-specific anxiety (-42%; Hedge's g = 1.0; 95% CI = 0.5, 16). Among those who needed to gain weight (n = 10), 94%-103% of expected weight gain goals were achieved., Discussion: Initial development and testing of a brief 8-session CBT protocol for DGBI + ARFID showed high feasibility, acceptability, and promising clinical improvements. Findings will inform an NIH Stage 1B randomized control trial., Public Significance: While cognitive-behavioral treatments (CBTs) for ARFID have been created in outpatient feeding and eating disorder clinics, they have yet to be developed and refined for other clinic settings or populations. In line with the recommendations for behavioral treatment development, we conducted a two-part investigation of an exposure-based CBT for a patient population with high rates of ARFID-adults with disorders of gut-brain interaction (also known as functional gastrointestinal disorders). We found patients had high satisfaction with treatment and there were promising improvements for both gastrointestinal and ARFID outcomes. The refined treatment includes eight sessions delivered by a behavioral health care provider and the findings reported in this article will be studied next in an NIH Stage 1B randomized controlled trial., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Exclusion diets for gastrointestinal symptom management have been hypothesized to be a risk factor for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID; a non-body image-based eating disorder). In a retrospective study of pediatric and adult neurogastroenterology patients, we aimed to (1) identify the prevalence and characteristics of an exclusion diet history and (2) evaluate if an exclusion diet history was concurrently associated with the presence of ARFID symptoms., Methods: We conducted a chart review of 539 consecutive referrals (ages 6-90, 69% female) to adult (n = 410; January-December 2016) and pediatric (n = 129; January 2016-December 2018) neurogastroenterology clinics. Masked coders (n = 4) retrospectively applied DSM-5 criteria for ARFID and a separate coder assessed documentation of exclusion diet history. We excluded patients with no documentation of diet in the chart (n = 35) or who were not orally fed (n = 9)., Results: Of 495 patients included, 194 (39%) had an exclusion diet history, and 118 (24%) had symptoms of ARFID. Of reported diets, dairy-free was the most frequent (45%), followed by gluten-free (36%). Where documented, exclusion diets were self-initiated by patients/parents in 66% of cases, and recommended by gastroenterology providers in 30%. Exclusion diet history was significantly associated with the presence of ARFID symptoms (OR = 3.12[95% CI 1.92-5.14], p < 0.001)., Conclusions: History of following an exclusion diet was common and was most often patient-initiated among pediatric and adult neurogastroenterology patients. As patients with self-reported exclusion diet history were over three times as likely to have ARFID symptoms, providers should be cognizant of this potential association when considering dietary interventions., (© 2023 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: There are limited data to guide the interpretation of scores on measures of eating-disorder psychopathology among underrepresented individuals. We aimed to provide norms for the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and Clinical Impairment Assessment (CIA) across racial/ethnic, gender, and sexual identities, and sexual orientations and their intersections by recruiting a diverse sample of Amazon MTurk workers (MTurkers; N = 1782)., Method: We created a comprehensive, quantitative assessment of racial/ethnic identification, gender identification, sex assigned at birth, current sexual identification, and sexual orientation called the Demographic Assessment of Racial, Sexual, and Gender Identities (DARSGI). We calculated normative data for each demographic category response option., Results: Our sample was comprised of 68% underrepresented racial/ethnic identities, 42% underrepresented gender identities, 13% underrepresented sexes, and 49% underrepresented sexual orientations. We reported means and standard deviations for each demographic category response option and, where possible, mean estimates by percentile across intersectional groups. EDE-Q Global Score for a subset of identities and intersections in the current study were higher than previously reported norms for those identities/intersections., Discussion: This is the most thorough reporting of norms for the EDE-Q and CIA among racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender identities, and sexual orientations and the first reporting on multiple intersections, filling some of the gaps for commonly used measures of eating-disorder psychopathology. These norms may be used to contextualize eating-disorder psychopathology reported by underrepresented individuals. The data from the current study may help inform research on the prevention and treatment of eating-disorder psychopathology in underrepresented groups., Public Significance: We provide the most thorough reporting on racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender identities, and sexual orientations for the Eating Disorder Examination - Questionnaire and Clinical Impairment Assessment, and the first reporting on intersections, which fills some of the gaps for commonly used measures of eating-disorder psychopathology. These norms help inform research on the prevention and treatment of eating-disorder psychopathology in underrepresented groups., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: There is a paucity of validated diagnostic interviews for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) to aid identification and classification of cases for both clinical and research purposes. To evaluate the factor structure, construct validity, and criterion validity of the Pica ARFID and Rumination Disorder Interview (PARDI; ARFID module), we administered the PARDI to 129 children and adolescents ages 9-23 years (M = 16.1) with ARFID (n = 84), subclinical ARFID (n = 11), and healthy controls (n = 34)., Method: We used exploratory factor analysis to examine the factor structure of the PARDI in children, adolescents, and young adults with an ARFID diagnosis, the Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance and Spearman correlations to test the construct validity of the measure, and non-parametric receiver operating characteristic curves to evaluate the criterion validity of the PARDI., Results: Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 3-factor structure: (1) concern about aversive consequences of eating, (2) low appetite/low interest in food, and (3) sensory sensitivity. Participants with ARFID demonstrated significantly higher levels of sensory sensitivity, low appetite/low-food interest, and concern about aversive consequences of eating symptoms relative to control participants. The construct validity for each PARDI subscale was supported and clinical cutoffs for the low appetite/low interest in food (1.1) and sensory sensitivity subscales (0.6) were established., Discussion: These data present evidence for the factor structure and validity of the PARDI diagnostic interview for diagnosing ARFID in children, adolescents, and young adults, supporting the use of this tool to facilitate ARFID clinical assessment and research., Public Significance: Due to the paucity of validated diagnostic interviews for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), we evaluated the factor structure and validity of the Pica ARFID and Rumination Disorder Interview (ARFID module). Findings suggest that the interview assesses 3 components of ARFID: concern about aversive consequences of eating, low-appetite, and sensory sensitivity, and that clinical threshold scores on the latter two subscales can be used to advance ARFID assessment., (© 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Eating Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: Research comparing psychiatric comorbidities between individuals with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and anorexia nervosa (AN) is limited. ARFID often develops in childhood, whereas AN typically develops in adolescence or young adulthood. Understanding how age may impact differential psychological comorbidity profiles is important to inform etiological conceptualization, differential diagnosis, and treatment planning. We aimed to compare the lifetime frequency of psychiatric comorbidities and suicidality between females with ARFID (n = 51) and AN (n = 40), investigating the role of age as a covariate., Method: We used structured interviews to assess the comparative frequency of psychiatric comorbidities/suicidality., Results: When age was omitted from analyses, females with ARFID had a lower frequency of depressive disorders and suicidality compared to AN. Adjusting for age, only suicidality differed between groups., Discussion: This is the first study to compare comorbidities in a similar number of individuals with ARFID and AN, and a structured clinical interview to confer ARFID and comorbidities, covarying for age, and the first to compare suicidality. Although suicidality is at least three times less common in ARFID than AN, observed differences in other psychiatric comorbidities may reflect ARFID's relatively younger age of presentation compared to AN., Public Significance: Our results highlight that, with the exception of suicidality, which was three times less common in ARFID than AN irrespective of age, observed differences in psychiatric comorbidities in clinical practice may reflect ARFID's younger age at clinical presentation compared to AN., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) occurs across the weight spectrum, however research addressing the coexistesnce of ARFID with overweight/obesity (OV/OB) is lacking. We aimed to establish co-occurrence of OV/OB and ARFID and to characterize divergent neurobiological features of ARFID by weight., Method: Youth with full/subthreshold ARFID (12 with healthy weight [HW], 11 with OV/OB) underwent fasting brain fMRI scan while viewing food/non-food images (M age = 16.92 years, 65% female, 87% white). We compared groups on BOLD response to high-calorie foods (HCF) (vs. objects) in food cue processing regions of interest. Following fMRI scanning, we evaluated subjective hunger pre- vs. post-meal. We used a mediation model to explore the association between BMI, brain activation, and hunger., Results: Participants with ARFID and OV/OB demonstrated significant hyperactivation in response to HCF (vs. objects) in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and anterior insula compared with HW participants with ARFID. Mediation analysis yielded a significant indirect effect of group (HW vs. OV/OB) on hunger via OFC activation (effect = 18.39, SE = 11.27, 95% CI [-45.09, -3.00]), suggesting that OFC activation mediates differences in hunger between ARFID participants with HW and OV/OB., Conclusions: Compared to youth with ARFID and HW, those with OV/OB demonstrate hyperactivation of brain areas critical for the reward value of food cues. Postprandial changes in subjective hunger depend on BMI and are mediated by OFC activation to food cues. Whether these neurobiological differences contribute to selective hyperphagia in ARFID presenting with OV/OB and represent potential treatment targets is an important area for future investigation.

Objective: In adults, low-weight restrictive eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa (AN), are marked by chronicity and diagnostic crossover from restricting to binge-eating/purging. Less is known about the naturalistic course of these eating disorders in adolescents, particularly atypical AN (atyp-AN) and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). To inform nosology of low-weight restrictive eating disorders in adolescents, we examined outcomes including persistence, crossover, and recovery in an 18-month observational study., Method: We assessed 82 women (ages 10-23 years) with low-weight eating disorders including AN ( n = 40; 29 restricting, 11 binge-eating/purging), atyp-AN ( n = 26; 19 restricting, seven binge-eating/purging), and ARFID ( n = 16) at baseline, nine months (9 M; 75% retention), and 18 months (18 M; 73% retention) via semi-structured interviews. First-order Markov modeling was used to determine diagnostic persistence, crossover, and recovery occurring at 9 M or 18 M., Results: Among all diagnoses, the likelihood of remaining stable within a given diagnosis was greater than that of transitioning, with the greatest probability among ARFID (0.84) and AN-R (0.62). Persistence of BP and atypical presentations at follow-up periods was less stable (AN-BP probability 0.40; atyp-AN-R probability 0.48; atyp-AN-BP probability, 0.50). Crossover from binge-eating/purging to restricting occurred 72% of the time; crossover from restricting to binge-eating/purging occurred 23% of the time. The likelihood of stable recovery (e.g., recovery at both 9 M and 18 M) was between 0.00 and 0.36., Conclusion: Across groups, intake diagnosis persisted in about two-thirds, and recovery was infrequent, underscoring the urgent need for innovative treatment approaches to these illnesses. Frequent crossover between AN and atyp-AN supports continuity between typical and atypical presentations, whereas no crossover to ARFID supports its distinction.

Objective: The mechanisms through which cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) may work have yet to be elucidated. To inform future treatment revisions to increase parsimony and potency of CBT for ARFID (CBT-AR), we evaluated change in food neophobia during CBT-AR treatment of a sensory sensitivity ARFID presentation via a single case study., Method: An adolescent male completed 21, twice-weekly sessions of CBT-AR via live video delivery. From pre- to mid- to post-treatment and at 2-month follow-up, we calculated percent change in food neophobia and ARFID symptom severity measures. Via visual inspection, we explored trajectories of week-by-week food neophobia in relation to clinical improvements (e.g., when the patient incorporated foods into daily life)., Results: By post-treatment, the patient achieved reductions across food neophobia (45%), and ARFID severity (53-57%) measures and no longer met criteria for ARFID, with sustained improvement at 2-month follow-up. Via visual inspection of week-by-week food neophobia trajectories, we identified that decreases occurred after mid-treatment and were associated with incorporation of a food directly tied to the patient's main treatment motivation., Discussion: This study provides hypothesis-generating findings on candidate CBT-AR mechanisms, showing that changes in food neophobia were related to food exposures most connected to the patient's treatment motivations., Public Significance: Cognitive-behavioral therapies (CBTs) can be effective for treating avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). However, we do not yet have evidence to show how they work. This report of a single patient shows that willingness to try new foods (i.e., food neophobia), changed the most when the patient experienced a clinical improvement most relevant to his motivation for seeking treatment., (© 2022 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Promoting representation of historically marginalized racial and ethnic populations in the eating disorders (EDs) field among professionals and the populations studied and served has long been discussed, with limited progress. This may be due to a reinforcing feedback loop in which individuals from dominant cultures conduct research and deliver treatment, participate in research, and receive diagnoses and treatment. This insularity maintains underrepresentation: EDs in historically marginalized populations are understudied, undetected, and undertreated. An Early Career Investigators Workshop generated recommendations for change that were not inherently novel but made apparent that accountability is missing. This paper serves as a call to action to spearhead a paradigm shift from equality to equity in the ED field. We provide a theoretical framework, suggest ways to disrupt the feedback loop, and summarize actionable steps to increase accountability in ED leadership and research toward enhancing racial/ethnic justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI). These actionable steps are outlined in the service of challenging our field to reflect the diversity of our global community. We must develop and implement measurable metrics to assess our progress toward increasing diversity of underrepresented racial/ethnic groups and to address JEDI issues in our providers, patients, and research participants., (© 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Eating Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: Anhedonia, or loss of pleasure, is related to deficits in reward processing across a variety of psychiatric disorders. In light of research suggesting abnormal reward processing in eating disorders (EDs), the study of anhedonia in EDs may yield important insights into the role of reward in eating pathology. This meta-analysis and review aimed to provide both a quantitative and qualitative synthesis of the existing literature on this topic., Method: We conducted this research (or these meta-analyses) according to PRISMA guidelines. We searched four databases for both peer-reviewed and unpublished literature, and included studies only if a self-report or clinical interview measure of anhedonia was administered to a sample with an ED diagnosis., Results: We included 21 studies in the systematic review, and 10 studies in two meta-analyses that compared anhedonia between ED and control samples (n = 9 studies) and within different ED diagnoses (n = 5 studies). Meta-analyses revealed that anhedonia was significantly higher in ED groups compared to healthy controls, but there was no significant difference in anhedonia between ED diagnostic groups. A qualitative review of the literature also suggested that anhedonia may be correlated with increased ED symptom severity., Discussion: Findings indicated that anhedonia is elevated in EDs and may be a relevant treatment target. Future research should examine how self-reported anhedonia may correlate with components of reward processing in EDs in order to improve theoretical models as well as targeted interventions., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Eating disorders are prevalent in adulthood and have high rates of morbidity and mortality. In many cases, primary care physicians (PCPs) are the first and/or only medical professionals to interact with individuals with eating disorders. However, PCPs often do not receive adequate training to confidently and appropriately care for these patients. This review includes up-to-date screening and treatment guidelines and relevant studies concerning the care of adult patients with eating disorders and provides concise guidance for PCPs regarding the outpatient management of these patients in primary care. Three case reports are also included to provide real-life examples of patients with eating disorders that PCPs may encounter. Although eating disorders can have grave consequences, recovery is possible and common, even after patients have been ill for many years. PCPs can play an integral role in promoting recovery by following evidence-based guidelines, by identifying when medical or psychiatric hospitalization is indicated, by monitoring for medical complications, and by referring early to evidenced-based therapies., (© Copyright 2022 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.)

Objective: The Nine Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID) Screen (NIAS) has three subscales aligned with ARFID presentations but clinically validated cutoff scores have not been identified. We aimed to examine NIAS subscale (picky eating, appetite, fear) validity to: (1) capture clinically-diagnosed ARFID presentations; (2) differentiate ARFID from other eating disorders (other-ED); and (3) capture ARFID symptoms among individuals with ARFID, individuals with other-ED, and nonclinical participants., Method: Participants included outpatients (ages 10-76 years; 75% female) diagnosed with ARFID (n = 49) or other-ED (n = 77), and nonclinical participants (ages 22-68 years; 38% female, n = 40). We evaluated criterion-related concurrent validity by conducting receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses to identify potential subscale cutoffs and by testing if cutoffs could capture ARFID with and without use of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q)., Results: Each NIAS subscale had high AUC for capturing those who fit versus do not fit each ARFID presentation, resulting in proposed cutoffs of ≥10 (sensitivity = .97, specificity = .63), ≥9 (sensitivity = .86, specificity = .70), and ≥ 10 (sensitivity = .68, specificity = .89) on the NIAS-picky eating, NIAS-appetite, and NIAS-fear subscales, respectively. ARFID versus other-ED had high AUC on the NIAS-picky eating (≥10 proposed cutoff), but not NIAS-appetite or NIAS-fear subscales. NIAS subscale cutoffs had a high association with ARFID diagnosis, but only correctly classified other-ED in combination with EDE-Q Global <2.3., Discussion: To screen for ARFID, we recommend using a screening tool for other-ED (e.g., EDE-Q) in combination with a positive score on any NIAS subscale (i.e., ≥10, ≥9, and/or ≥10 on the NIAS-picky eating, NIAS-appetite, and NIAS-fear subscales, respectively)., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Cognitive inflexibility and attention to detail bias represent a promising target in eating disorder (ED) treatment. While prior research has found that adults with eating disorders exhibit significant cognitive inflexibility and heightened attention to detail, less is known about these cognitive impairments among adolescents, and across EDs transdiagnostically. To address this gap, adolescent females ( N = 143) from a residential ED program with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or other specified feeding or eating disorder completed the Detail and Flexibility Questionnaire (DFlex) and measures of ED and general psychopathology. Transdiagnostically, adolescents with EDs scored higher than an archival sample of healthy control adolescents on both cognitive rigidity ( p < .001; Cohen's d = 1.92) and attention to detail ( p < .001; Cohen's d = 1.16). These cognitive impairments were significantly associated with severity of eating pathology, and these relationships existed independent of age, duration of illness, or body mass index (BMI). Our findings suggest cognitive inflexibility and heightened attention to detail occur transdiagnostically in adolescents with eating disorders and are unlikely to be a scar of the disorder. Future prospective research is needed to determine whether these cognitive styles represent an endophenotype of eating disorders.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and eating disorders (EDs) are individually debilitating and highly comorbid conditions. Childhood abuse is a prominent risk factor for PTSD and ED symptoms both individually and as a comorbid syndrome (PTSD-ED). There may be a functional association between comorbid PTSD-ED symptoms whereby disordered eating behaviors are used to avoid trauma-related thoughts and feelings. The current study used a network analytic approach to examine key associations between PTSD and ED symptom subscales (i.e., PCL-5 and EPSI, respectively) in a community sample of 120 adults who endorsed at least one experience of childhood abuse (i.e., physical, sexual, or emotional abuse; witnessing domestic violence). Participants completed an anonymous online survey using Amazon's Mechanical Turk Prime. We used three network analysis indices (i.e., strength centrality, key players, and bridge symptoms) to identify symptoms that may maintain the comorbid PTSD-ED network. The results indicated that reexperiencing symptoms had the highest strength centrality in the PTSD-ED network and bridged the PTSD and ED clusters. For ED, cognitive restraint was a bridge to all PTSD symptoms. Hyperarousal, negative alterations in cognitions and mood (NACM), and purging were key players, indicating they are integral to the network structure. If replicated in prospective studies, these results may indicate that reexperiencing and cognitive restraint are core drivers of PTSD-ED comorbidity, whereas hyperarousal, NACM, and purging may be downstream consequences maintaining the comorbid condition. Concurrent treatments that address PTSD and ED symptoms simultaneously may result in the best outcomes., (© 2020 International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.)

Objective: Little research exists on Rome IV disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI; formerly called functional gastrointestinal disorders) in outpatients with eating disorders (EDs). These data are particularly lacking for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID), which shares core features with DGBI. We aimed to identify the frequency and nature of DGBI symptoms among outpatients with EDs., Method: Consecutively referred pediatric and adult patients diagnosed with an ED (n = 168, 71% female, ages 8-76 years) in our tertiary care ED program between March 2017 and July 2019 completed a modified Rome IV Questionnaire for DGBI and psychopathology measure battery., Results: The majority (n = 122, 72%) of participants reported at least one bothersome gastrointestinal symptom. Sixty-six (39%) met criteria for a DBGI, most frequently functional dyspepsia-post-prandial distress syndrome subtype (31%). DGBI were surprisingly less frequent among patients with ARFID (30%) versus EDs that are associated with shape or weight concerns (45%; X 2 [1] = 3.61, p = .058, Cramer's V = .147). Among those with ARFID, DGBI presence was associated with the fear of aversive consequences prototype and multiple comorbid prototype presence., Discussion: We demonstrated notable overlap between DGBI and EDs, particularly post-prandial distress symptoms. Further research is needed to examine if gastrointestinal symptoms predict or are a result of greater ED pathology, including ARFID prototypes., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: More adopted individuals report experiencing general psychopathology, poor parental attachment, and early childhood eating difficulties than nonadopted individuals, yet little is known about disordered eating in this population. This study sought to describe the relationship between adoption status and behavioral eating-disorder (ED) symptoms, and to examine potential correlates of ED symptoms that are unique to adopted individuals., Method: We examined data from adolescents and young adults from Waves 1 (n adopted = 561, nonadopted = 20,184), 2 (n adopted = 211, nonadopted = 14,525), and 3 (n adopted = 416, nonadopted = 14,754) of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. ED symptom items included dieting, breakfast skipping, binge eating, extreme weight loss behaviors (EWLBs; i.e., self-induced vomiting, laxative use, diet pill use) and lifetime ED diagnosis., Results: Compared to nonadopted individuals, adopted individuals were more likely to report EWLBs at Wave 2 and binge eating and lifetime ED diagnosis at Wave 3 (ps < .05). Among adopted individuals, contact with a biological parent was associated with higher rates of binge eating and lifetime ED diagnosis at Wave 3 (ps < .05), whereas age at adoption and having ever been in foster care were not associated with rates of ED symptoms., Discussion: This study provides preliminary evidence that being adopted may be a risk factor for certain behavioral symptoms of EDs. Given the benefits of early detection and treatment of ED symptoms, mental health professionals working with adopted individuals should assess for disordered eating., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objective: Outcome states, such as remission and recovery, include specific duration criteria for which individuals must be asymptomatic. Ideally, duration criteria provide predictive validity to outcome states by reducing symptom-return risk. However, available research is insufficient for deriving specific recommendations for remission or recovery duration criteria for eating disorders., Method: We intensively modeled the relation between duration criteria length and rates of remission, recovery, and subsequent symptom return in longitudinal data from a treatment-seeking sample of women with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). We hypothesized that the length of the duration criterion would be inversely associated with both rates of remission and recovery and with subsequent rates of symptom return., Results: Generalized estimating equations supported our hypotheses for all investigated eating-disorder features except for symptom return when using the Psychiatric Status Rating for AN., Discussion: We recommend that 6 months be used for remission definitions applied to binge eating, purging, and BN symptom composite measures, whereas no duration criteria be used for low weight and AN symptom composites. We further recommend that 6 months be used for recovery definitions applied to BN symptom composites and AN symptom composites, whereas 18 months be used for individual symptoms of binge eating, purging, and low weight. The adoption of these duration criteria into comprehensive definitions of remission and recovery will increase their predictive validity, which in turn, maximizes their utility., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background & Aims: Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) is a feeding and eating disorder that is characterized by avoidant or restrictive eating not primarily motivated by body shape or weight concerns. We aimed to determine the frequency of ARFID symptoms and study its characteristics and associated gastrointestinal symptoms., Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of charts from 410 consecutive referrals (ages, 18-90 y; 73.0% female) to a tertiary care center for neurogastroenterology examination, from January through December 2016. Blinded coders (n = 4) applied Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, criteria for ARFID, with substantial diagnostic agreement (κ = 0.66)., Results: Twenty-six cases (6.3%) met the full criteria for ARFID and 71 cases (17.3%) had clinically significant avoidant or restrictive eating behaviors with insufficient information for a definitive diagnosis of ARFID. Of patients with ARFID symptoms (n = 97), 90 patients (92.8%) cited fear of gastrointestinal symptoms as motivation for their avoidant or restrictive eating. A series of binary logistic regressions showed that the likelihood of having ARFID symptoms increased significantly in patients with eating- or weight-related complaints (odds ratio [OR], 5.09; 95% CI, 2.54-10.21); with dyspepsia, nausea, or vomiting (OR, 3.59; 95% CI, 2.04-6.32); with abdominal pain (OR, 4.72; 95% CI, 1.87-11.81); or with lower GI diagnoses (OR, 2.40; 95% CI, 1.34-4.32)., Conclusions: In a retrospective study of patients undergoing neurogastroenterology examinations, we found ARFID symptoms to be related most frequently to fear of gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients undergoing neurogastroenterology or motility examinations should be evaluated for symptoms of ARFID, particularly when providers consider dietary interventions., (Copyright © 2020 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To improve our understanding of medical complications and endocrine alterations in patients with low-weight avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and how they may differ from those in anorexia nervosa (AN) and healthy controls (HC)., Method: We performed an exploratory cross-sectional study comparing low-weight females with ARFID (n = 20) with females with AN (n = 42) and HC (n = 49) with no history of an eating disorder., Results: We found substantial overlap in medical comorbidities and endocrine features in ARFID and AN, but with earlier onset of aberrant eating behaviors in ARFID. We also observed distinct medical and endocrine alterations in ARFID compared to AN, such as a greater prevalence of asthma, a lower number of menses missed in the preceding 9 months, higher total T3 levels, and lower total T4 : total T3 ratio; these differences persisted after adjusting for age and might reflect differences in pathophysiology, acuity of weight fluctuations, and/or nutritional composition of food consumed., Conclusion: These results highlight the need for prompt diagnosis and intensive therapeutic intervention from disease onset in ARFID., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: We aimed to characterize the current and lifetime prevalence of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and suicidality in treatment- and nontreatment-seeking individuals with full and subthreshold avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID). We also sought to examine unique associations between the three DSM-5 ARFID profiles (i.e., sensory sensitivity, fear of aversive consequences, and lack of interest in food or eating) and specific categories of psychiatric diagnoses and suicidality., Method: We conducted structured clinical interviews with 74 children and adolescents with full or sub threshold ARFID to assess the presence of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses, suicidality, and the severity of each of the three ARFID profiles., Results: Nearly half of the sample (45%) met criteria for a current comorbid psychiatric diagnosis, and over half (53%) met criteria for a lifetime comorbid diagnosis. A total of 8% endorsed current suicidality and 14% endorsed lifetime suicidality. Severity in the sensory sensitivity profile was uniquely associated with greater odds of comorbid disorders in the neurodevelopmental, disruptive, and conduct disorders category; the anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma-related disorders category; and the depressive and bipolar-related disorders category. Severity in the fear of aversive consequences profile was associated with greater odds of disorders in the anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma-related disorders category., Discussion: Our findings underscore the severity of psychopathology among individuals with ARFID and related presentations, and also highlight the potential that shared psychopathology between specific ARFID profiles and other psychiatric disorders represent transdiagnostic constructs (e.g., avoidant behavior) that may be relevant treatment targets., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: The cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) model of eating disorders suggests that compensatory purging behaviors (e.g., self-induced vomiting, inappropriate laxative use) are primarily driven by binge eating. However, many individuals endorse purging in the absence of binge eating (i.e., noncompensatory purging [NCP]). Research is needed to understand why some individuals purge in the absence of objective or subjective binge-eating episodes., Method: Given the importance of overvaluation of shape/weight in the CBT model, and the existing evidence linking temperamental characteristics like behavioral inhibition (i.e., the tendency to withdraw in response to threat cues) with purging in general, we tested whether behavioral inhibition moderated the relationship between overvaluation of shape/weight and NCP in a sample of individuals in a residential eating disorder treatment center (N = 143)., Results: Overvaluation was more strongly related to NCP in individuals with high (relative to low) levels of behavioral inhibition. Among individuals low in behavioral inhibition, overvaluation predicted engagement in NCP to a much weaker extent., Discussion: For those high (relative to low) in behavioral inhibition, both emotional avoidance and overvaluation may be important targets in the treatment of NCP, particularly in the absence of binge eating., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess whether girls with mothers who have had an eating disorder (ED) have greater odds of developing ED symptoms and whether girls with ED symptoms have greater odds of receiving ED treatment if their mothers have an ED history., Methods: Data came from 3,649 females in the Growing Up Today Study. Data were collected via questionnaires that were mailed every 12-24 months from 1996 to 2013. Girls who reported on ED treatment in 2013 and whose mothers completed a questionnaire in 2004 about maternal and child EDs were included in main analyses. Generalized estimating equations were used., Results: Among complete cases, 28.3% of girls reported symptoms meeting criteria for an ED in at least 1 year and, of these, 12.4% reported receiving treatment. Girls with mothers with ED histories had nearly twice the odds of reporting symptoms of any ED (adjusted odds ratio: 1.89; 95% confidence interval: 1.38-2.60). Girls who reported symptoms meeting criteria for any ED had more than twice the odds of reporting treatment if their mother had an ED history (adjusted odds ratio: 2.23; 95% confidence interval: 1.25-3.99)., Conclusions: Girls with mothers with an ED history had greater odds of both reporting ED symptoms and receiving ED treatment. Screening both girls and their mothers for current or previous disordered eating may be important for the prevention and detection of ED symptoms. More research is needed to examine reasons for the association between maternal ED history and ED treatment in girls., (Copyright © 2019 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Psychiatric comorbidity is common in eating disorders (EDs) and associated with poor outcomes, including increased risk for relapse and premature death. Yet little is known about comorbidity following ED recovery., Methods: We examined two common comorbidities, major depressive disorder (MDD) and substance use disorder (SUD), in adult women with intake diagnoses of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa who participated in a 22-year longitudinal study. One hundred and seventy-six of 228 surviving participants (77.2%) were interviewed 22 years after study entry using the Eating Disorders Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation to assess ED recovery status. Sixty-four percent (n = 113) were recovered from their ED. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV was used to assess MDD and SUD at 22 years., Results: At 22-year follow-up, 28% (n = 49) met criteria for MDD, and 6% (n = 11) met criteria for SUD. Those who recovered from their ED were 2.17 times more likely not to have MDD at 22-year follow-up (95% CI [1.10, 4.26], p = .023) and 5.33 times more likely not to have a SUD at 22-year follow-up than those who had not recovered from their ED (95% CI [1.36, 20.90], p = .008)., Conclusion: Compared to those who had not fully recovered from their ED, those who had recovered were twice as likely not to be diagnosed with MDD in the past year and five times as likely not to be diagnosed with SUDs in the past year. These findings provide evidence that long-term recovery from EDs is associated with recovery from or absence of these common major comorbidities. Because comorbidity in EDs can predict poor outcomes, including greater risk for relapse and premature death, our findings of reduced risk for psychiatric comorbidity following recovery at long-term follow-up is cause for optimism., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Estrogen replacement prevents worsening body dissatisfaction with weight gain in adolescents with anorexia nervosa. However, the impact of estrogen administration on eating disorder (ED) pathology in normal-weight young women with exercise-induced amenorrhea is unknown. We hypothesized that (1) normal-weight oligo-amenorrheic athletes (OA) would show greater ED pathology than eumenorrheic athletes (EA) and non-athletes (NA), and (2) 12 months of estrogen replacement would improve those symptoms., Trial Design: Randomized trial., Methods: One hundred seventeen OA, 50 EA, and 41 NA completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) for measures of Drive for Thinness (DT) and Body Dissatisfaction (BD) and the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire-R18 (TFEQ-R18). OA were then randomized to receive 100 mcg transdermal 17β-estradiol with cyclic progesterone (PATCH), an oral contraceptive pill (30 mcg ethinyl estradiol + 0.15 mg desogestrel) (PILL), or no estrogen (E-) for 12 months. Data are reported for the subset that completed questionnaires at 0 and 12 months between 11/2009 and 10/2016., Results: OA showed higher EDI-2 DT and TFEQ-R18 Cognitive Restraint scores than EA and NA and higher EDI-2 BD scores than EA. Over 12 months, the E+ group (PATCH+PILL), compared to E-, showed improved trajectories for EDI-2 DT and BD scores. In 3-group comparisons, PATCH outperformed E- for decreases in EDI-2 DT and BD, and the PILL for TFEQ-R18 Uncontrolled Eating., Conclusion: In OA, 12 months of estrogen replacement improves ED pathology trajectories, emphasizing the broad importance of normalizing estrogen levels., Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00946192., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The majority of individuals with anorexia nervosa (AN) have a fat-phobic (FP-AN) presentation in which they explicitly endorse fear of weight gain, but a minority present as non-fat-phobic (NFP-AN). Diagnostic criteria for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) specifically exclude fear of weight gain. Differential diagnosis between NFP-AN and ARFID can be challenging and explicit endorsements do not necessarily match internal beliefs., Method: Ninety-four adolescent females (39 FP-AN, 13 NFP-AN, 10 low-weight ARFID, 32 healthy controls [HC]) completed implicit association tests (IATs) categorizing statements as pro-dieting or non-dieting and true or false (questionnaire-based IAT), and images of female models as underweight or normal-weight and words as positive or negative (picture-based IAT). We used the Eating Disorder Examination to categorize FP- versus NFP-AN presentations., Results: Individuals with FP-AN and NFP-AN demonstrated a stronger association between pro-dieting and true statements, whereas those with ARFID and HCs demonstrated a stronger association between pro-dieting and false statements. Furthermore, while all groups demonstrated a negative implicit association with underweight models, HC participants had a significantly stronger negative association than individuals with FP-AN and NFP-AN., Discussion: Individuals with NFP-AN exhibited a mixed pattern in which some of their implicit associations were consistent with their explicit endorsements, whereas others were not, possibly reflecting a minimizing response style on explicit measures. In contrast, individuals with ARFID demonstrated implicit associations consistent with explicit endorsements. Replication studies are needed to confirm whether the questionnaire-based IAT is a promising method of differentiating between restrictive eating disorders that share similar clinical characteristics., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: Since its introduction to the psychiatric nomenclature in 2013, research on avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) has proliferated highlighting lack of clarity in how ARFID is defined., Method: In September 2018, a small multi-disciplinary pool of international experts in feeding disorder and eating disorder clinical practice and research convened as the Radcliffe ARFID workgroup to consider operationalization of DSM-5 ARFID diagnostic criteria to guide research in this disorder., Results: By consensus of the Radcliffe ARFID workgroup, ARFID eating is characterized by food avoidance and/or restriction, involving limited volume and/or variety associated with one or more of the following: weight loss or faltering growth (e.g., defined as in anorexia nervosa, or by crossing weight/growth percentiles); nutritional deficiencies (defined by laboratory assay or dietary recall); dependence on tube feeding or nutritional supplements (≥50% of daily caloric intake or any tube feeding not required by a concurrent medical condition); and/or psychosocial impairment., Conclusions: This article offers definitions on how best to operationalize ARFID criteria and assessment thereof to be tested in existing clinical populations and to guide future study to advance understanding and treatment of this heterogeneous disorder., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: We are very pleased to introduce a special issue of the International Journal of Eating Disorders on child and adolescent feeding and eating disorders and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID)., Method: Contributions focused on five main themes: (1) the definition and assessment of ARFID; (2) the clinical phenomenology of ARFID; (3) similarities and differences between ARFID and anorexia nervosa (AN); (4) novel treatments for ARFID; and (5) new ideas for improving treatment outcomes in AN., Results: These papers highlight the importance of clear operationalization and measurement of the ARFID diagnostic criteria. ARFID phenotypes bear both similarities and important differences in clinical profile, course, and outcome from AN. Findings suggest the utility of adapting existing treatments for restrictive eating disorders to apply to ARFID and engender clinical creativity to move beyond existing treatments and develop novel interventions that address the heterogeneity of ARFID. Furthermore, burgeoning understanding of ARFID offers the potential that novel treatments for ARFID may also be applied to improve outcomes for AN., Discussion: This collection of papers features child and adolescent feeding and eating disorder patient groups that have been understudied and we hope that this catalyzes clinical research in these important presentations., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: We examined whether eating disorder (ED) outcome trajectories during residential treatment differed for patients screening positive for comorbid borderline personality disorder (BPD) and/or substance use disorders (SUDs) than those who do not., Method: We examined data from patients in a residential ED treatment program. Patients completed validated self-report surveys to screen for SUDs and BPD on admission, and the ED Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) on admission and every 2 weeks until discharge (N = 479 females)., Results: Fifty-four percent screened positive for at least one co-occurring condition. At admission, patients screening positive for SUD and/or BPD had significantly greater eating pathology than patients screening negative for both (t[477] = 8.23, p < .001). Patients screening positive for SUD (independent of BPD screening status) had a significantly faster rate of symptom improvement during the initial 4 weeks than patients screening positive for BPD only and those with no comorbidities., Discussion: Screening positive for SUD and/or BPD was common in residential ED treatment, and associated with more severe ED symptoms. Screening positive for SUD was associated with faster ED symptom improvement than screening positive for BPD. These findings suggest that intensive ED treatment, even in the absence of intensive SUD treatment, may enhance patient outcomes for those with SUDs., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) and anorexia nervosa (AN) are restrictive eating disorders. There is a proposal before the American Psychiatric Association to broaden the current DSM-5 criteria for ARFID, which currently require dietary intake that is inadequate to support energy or nutritional needs. We compared the clinical presentations of ARFID and AN in an outpatient sample to determine how a more inclusive definition of ARFID, heterogeneous for age and weight status, is distinct from AN., Methods: As part of standard care, 138 individuals with AN or ARFID completed an online assessment battery and agreed to include their responses in research., Results: Individuals with ARFID were younger, reported earlier age of onset, and had higher percent median BMI (%mBMI) than those with AN (all ps < .001). Individuals with ARFID scored lower on measures of eating pathology, depression, anxiety, and clinical impairment (all ps < .05), but did not differ from those with AN on restrictive eating (p = .52), and scored higher on food neophobia (p < .001)., Discussion: Allowing psychosocial impairment to be sufficient for an ARFID diagnosis resulted in a clinical picture of ARFID such that %mBMI was higher (and in the normal range) compared with AN. Differences in gender distribution, age, and age of onset remained consistent with previous research. Both groups reported similar levels of dietary restriction, although ARFID can be distinguished by relatively higher levels of food neophobia. Currently available measures of eating pathology may capture certain ARFID symptoms, but highlight the need for measures of impairment relative to ARFID., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory (EPSI) is a 45-item self-report measure of eating pathology designed to be sensitive in assessing symptoms among diverse populations of individuals with disordered eating. The current study represents the first external validation of the EPSI as well as the first to examine the factor structure in an outpatient eating disorder clinic sample. We conducted an exploratory factor analysis in three separate samples: an outpatient clinic sample (n = 284), a college sample (n = 296), and a community sample (n = 341) and compared the observed factor structures to the original 8-factor solution proposed by Forbush et al. (2013). We also investigated whether the subscales correlated with the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and a clinical impairment measure among the outpatient clinic sample. Results suggested between 7 and 8 factors for each of the three samples. Our findings largely replicated those of the original EPSI development study, excepting some deviations in the Muscle Building, Cognitive Restraint, and Excessive Exercise subscales. However, confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory structural equation modeling produced poor model fit, which may be related to the item heterogeneity within many of the subscales. Finally, eating disorder attitudes and behaviors assessed by the EPSI were significantly correlated with the EDE-Q and with clinical impairment. Overall, our results highlight both strengths and limitations of the EPSI. Findings provide preliminary support for the use of the EPSI among research with diverse populations, and present several avenues for future research for enhancing clinical utility., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of Review: Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) was added to the psychiatric nomenclature in 2013, but little is known about its optimal treatment. The purpose of this article is to review the recent literature on ARFID treatment and highlight a novel cognitive-behavioral approach, currently under study., Recent Findings: The current evidence base for ARFID treatment relies primarily on case reports, case series, and retrospective chart reviews, with only a handful of randomized controlled trials in young children. Studies in adults are lacking. ARFID treatments recently described in the literature include family-based treatment and parent training; cognitive-behavioral approaches; hospital-based re-feeding including tube feeding; and adjunctive pharmacotherapy. A novel form of outpatient cognitive-behavioral therapy for ARFID (CBT-AR) is one treatment currently under study. CBT-AR is appropriate for children, adolescents, and adults ages 10 years and more; proceeds through four stages across 20-30 sessions; and is available in both individual and family-supported versions., Summary: There is no evidence-based psychological treatment suitable for all forms of ARFID at this time. Several groups are currently evaluating the efficacy of new psychological treatments for ARFID - particularly, family-based and cognitive-behavioral approaches - but results have not yet been published.

Purpose of Review: The neurohormone oxytocin (OXT) impacts food intake as well as cognitive, emotional, and social functioning-all of which are central to eating disorder (ED) pathology across the weight spectrum. Here, we review findings on endogenous OXT levels and their relationship to ED pathology, the impact of exogenous OXT on mechanisms that drive ED presentation and chronicity, and the potential role of genetic predispositions in the OXT-ED link., Recent Findings: Current findings suggest a role of the OXT system in the pathophysiology of anorexia nervosa. In individuals with bulimia nervosa, endogenous OXT levels were comparable to those of healthy controls, and exogenous OXT reduced food intake. Studies in other ED are lacking. However, genetic studies suggest a broad role of the OXT system in influencing ED pathology. Highlighting findings on why OXT represents a potential biomarker of and treatment target for ED, we advocate for a systematic research approach spanning the entire ED spectrum.

Objective: This study examined whether patterns of eating-disorder (ED) psychopathology differed by gender across DSM-5 severity specifiers in anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN)., Method: We tested whether ED psychopathology differed across DSM-5 severity specifiers among 532 adults (76% female) in a residential treatment center with AN or BN. We hypothesized that severity of ED psychopathology would increase in tandem with increasing severity classifications for both males and females with AN and BN., Results: Among females with BN, DSM-5 severity categories were significantly associated with increasing ED psychopathology, including Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire dietary restraint, eating concern, shape concern, and weight concern; and Eating Disorder Inventory drive for thinness and bulimia. ED psychopathology did not differ across DSM-5 severity levels for males with BN. For both males and females with AN, there were no differences in ED psychopathology across severity levels., Discussion: Results demonstrate that DSM-5 severity specifiers may function differently for males versus females with BN. Taken together, data suggest DSM-5 severity specifiers may not adequately capture severity, as intended, for males with BN and all with AN. Future research should evaluate additional clinical validators of DSM-5 severity categories (e.g., chronicity, treatment non-response), and consider alternate classification schemes., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Fear and disgust are distinct emotions that have been independently linked with EDs and may motivate avoidance behaviors that may be relevant targets for ED interventions (e.g., food rejection). Despite similar motivational function, it is possible that one emotion is more strongly associated with ED symptoms, relative to the other. Given that emerging evidence suggests that disgust-based behavior may be more difficult to change than fear-based behaviors, research is needed to evaluate whether each emotion differentially relates to ED symptoms. Therefore, the current study tested the relative importance of fear and disgust in accounting for variance in ED symptoms. Participants included undergraduate men (n = 127) and women (n = 263) from a university in the northeast US. Participants completed self-report measures assessing demographics, disordered eating attitudes and behaviors, and visual analog scales assessing fear and disgust responses to high-calorie food images, low-calorie food images, and non-food fear and disgust images. Bivariate correlations revealed significant positive associations among fear, disgust, and EDE-Q global symptom scores. Relative weights analysis results yielded relative importance weights that suggested disgust responding to high calorie food images accounts for the greatest total variance in EDE-Q global symptom scores in men, and fear responding to high calorie food images accounts for the greatest total variance in EDE-Q scores in women. Findings provide initial evidence that investigative and clinical efforts should consider fear and disgust as unique facets of negative affect with different patterns of relative importance to ED symptoms in undergraduate men and women., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors for disordered weight control behaviors (DWCB) in South Korean adolescents at multiple levels, including individual, family, school, and geographic area., Method: We drew participants from the 11th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, conducted in 2015, with 65,529 adolescents (31,687 girls, 33,842 boys) aged 12-18 years. DWCB was defined as engaging in any of the following behaviors for weight control over the past month: fasting, one-food diet (eating only one food over an extended period of time for weight control), vomiting, and taking laxatives/diuretics/unprescribed diet pills. Sex-stratified four-level multilevel logistic models examined potential predictors of DWCB, including age, body-mass index, puberty, perceived household economic status, parental education, living structure, school type and sex-composition, percentage of students participating in school nutrition programs, and urbanicity., Results: Overall, 6.2% of Korean adolescents (8.9% of girls, 3.7% of boys) exhibited any DWCB. We found significant between-school variation among girls and boys and between-classroom variation among girls. Older age, overweight/obesity, pubertal maturity, high household economic status (vs. mid-range economic status), and vocational schooling (vs. general) were positively associated with DWCB among girls and boys. Low household economic status (vs. mid-range economic status), higher parental education, and coeducational schooling (vs. single-sex) were positively associated with DWCB among girls only., Discussion: The findings suggest that DWCB are prevalent among Korean adolescents across age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Social contextual factors including school and familial environmental factors, as well as individual characteristics, should be considered when developing effective prevention strategies., (© 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Objective: There are a subset of individuals with eating disorders (EDs) who do not overevaluate body shape/weight (i.e., nonfat phobic ED; NFP-ED). According to the transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral conceptualization of EDs, a need for control, in general, is hypothesized as the core psychopathology of NFP-EDs, with shape- and weight-related motivations for ED behavior merely superimposed in FP-ED presentations. This study tested the need for control as motivation for restriction in NFP-ED, using items aimed at assessing control from the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) Restraint scale., Method: Females ages 13-27 years consecutively admitted to residential treatment completed the EDE, Eating Disorder Inventory-3 Drive for Thinness subscale (EDI-DFT), and other self-report measures of psychopathology. We included patients with DSM-5 EDs, but excluded patients with avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. Twenty participants had NFP-ED (≤14 on EDI-DFT) and 124 had fatphobic ED (FP-ED; >14 on EDI-DFT)., Results: NFP-ED scored significantly lower than FP-ED on EDE Restraint scale shape/weight [χ 2 (1) = 10.73-35.62, p's < .01] and on control items [χ 2 (1) = 10.72-20.62, p's < .01], in addition to scoring lower on measures of general psychopathology and impairment., Discussion: Findings suggest those with NFP-ED report lower psychopathology overall and the new EDE Restraint scale control items do not capture additional motivation for restriction beyond that captured in the original Restraint scale shape/weight items. Future research should examine whether this latter finding is due to a minimizing response style in NFP-ED, an incomplete capture of desire for control by the EDE assessment method, or indeed reflects that need for control does not motivate restriction in NFP-EDs., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Network analysis has recently been introduced as a clinically relevant methodology for understanding the structure of mental disorders and for evaluating cognitive behavioral models of psychopathology. The current study uses network analysis to validate the transdiagnostic model of eating disorders by examining the association between overvaluation of shape and weight and eating disorder symptoms. Eating disorder symptoms were measured among a sample of 194 treatment-seeking children, adolescents, and adults presenting to an outpatient eating disorder clinic. We created transdiagnostic and disorder-specific symptom networks and assessed symptom strength and connectivity. Congruent with the transdiagnostic model, overvaluation of weight and shape emerged among the strongest symptoms in the network, and global network connectivity was higher among individuals with high overvaluation when compared to individuals with low overvaluation. An exploratory analysis revealed that overvaluation of weight and shape was central to anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Results highlight the associative strength of overvaluation of shape and weight with eating disorder symptoms, regardless of the specific eating disorder diagnosis. Our findings corroborate overvaluation of weight and shape as a transdiagnostic treatment target and potentially useful severity specifier for binge eating disorder., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose of Review: DSM-5 defined avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) as a failure to meet nutritional needs leading to low weight, nutritional deficiency, dependence on supplemental feedings, and/or psychosocial impairment. We summarize what is known about ARFID and introduce a three-dimensional model to inform research., Recent Findings: Because ARFID prevalence, risk factors, and maintaining mechanisms are not known, prevailing treatment approaches are based on clinical experience rather than data. Furthermore, most ARFID research has focused on children, rather than adolescents or adults. We hypothesize a three-dimensional model wherein neurobiological abnormalities in sensory perception, homeostatic appetite, and negative valence systems underlie the three primary ARFID presentations of sensory sensitivity, lack of interest in eating, and fear of aversive consequences, respectively. Now that ARFID has been defined, studies investigating risk factors, prevalence, and pathophysiology are needed. Our model suggests testable hypotheses about etiology and highlights cognitive-behavioral therapy as one possible treatment.

Objective: For some, fat phobia or fear of uncontrollable weight gain is diagnostic of eating disorders, often inhibiting treatment engagement and predicting symptom relapse. Prior research has reported weight changes at infrequent or long intervals, but rate, shape, and magnitude of long-term changes remain unknown. Our study examined 22-year longitudinal trajectories of body mass index (BMI) in women with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN)., Method: Participants were followed over 10 years (N = 225) and at 22-year follow-up (N = 175). Using latent growth curves, we examined: (1) shape and rate of intra-individual BMI change over 10 years; (2) predictors of BMI change over 10 years, (3) 22-year BMI outcomes; and (4) BMI changes over 10 years as predictors of 22-year BMI., Results: The best-fitting model captured overall intra-individual rates of BMI change in three intervals, showing moderate rate of BMI increase from intake to year 2, modest increase from year 2 to 5, and plateau from year 5 to 10. At 22 years, 14% were underweight, 69% were normal weight, and only 17% were overweight or obese. Greater increases from intake to year 2 predicted higher BMI at 22 years (β = 0.43, p < 0.01) and were predicted by intake diagnosis of AN-restricting (β = 0.31, p < 0.01) or AN-binge eating/purging (β = 0.29, p < 0.01)., Discussion: BMI increased most rapidly during earlier years of the study for those with lower weight at study intake (i. e., AN) and plateaued over time, settling in the normal range for most. Psychoeducation about expected BMI trajectory may challenge patients' long-term fat phobic predictions., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

The therapeutic alliance has demonstrated an association with favorable psychotherapeutic outcomes in the treatment of eating disorders (EDs). However, questions remain about the inter-relationships between early alliance, early symptom improvement, and treatment outcome. We conducted a meta-analysis on the relations among these constructs, and possible moderators of these relations, in psychosocial treatments for EDs. Twenty studies met inclusion criteria and supplied sufficient supplementary data. Results revealed small-to-moderate effect sizes, βs = 0.13 to 0.22 (p < .05), indicating that early symptom improvement was related to subsequent alliance quality and that alliance ratings also were related to subsequent symptom reduction. The relationship between early alliance and treatment outcome was partially accounted for by early symptom improvement. With regard to moderators, early alliance showed weaker associations with outcome in therapies with a strong behavioral component relative to nonbehavioral therapies. However, alliance showed stronger relations to outcome for younger (vs. older) patients, over and above the variance shared with early symptom improvement. In sum, early symptom reduction enhances therapeutic alliance and treatment outcome in EDs, but early alliance may require specific attention for younger patients and for those receiving nonbehaviorally oriented treatments., (© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) are common amongst women; however, no research has specifically investigated the lifetime/12-month prevalence of eating disorders amongst women in mid-life (i.e., fourth and fifth decade of life) and the relevant longitudinal risk factors. We aimed to investigate the lifetime and 12-month prevalence of EDs and lifetime health service use and to identify childhood, parenting, and personality risk factors., Methods: This is a two-phase prevalence study, nested within an existing longitudinal community-based sample of women in mid-life. A total of 5658 women from the UK Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; enrolled 20 years earlier) participated. ED diagnoses were obtained using validated structured interviews. Weighted analyses were carried out accounting for the two-phase methodology to obtain prevalence figures and to carry out risk factor regression analyses., Results: By mid-life, 15.3% (95% confidence intervals, 13.5-17.4%) of women had met criteria for a lifetime ED. The 12-month prevalence of EDs was 3.6%. Childhood sexual abuse was prospectively associated with all binge/purge type disorders and an external locus of control was associated with binge-eating disorder. Better maternal care was protective for bulimia nervosa. Childhood life events and interpersonal sensitivity were associated with all EDs., Conclusions: By mid-life a significant proportion of women will experience an ED, and few women accessed healthcare. Active EDs are common in mid-life, both due to new onset and chronic disorders. Increased awareness of the full spectrum of EDs in this stage of life and adequate service provision is important. This is the first study to investigate childhood and personality risk factors for full threshold and sub-threshold EDs and to identify common predictors for full and sub-threshold EDs. Further research should clarify the role of preventable risk factors on both full and sub-threshold EDs.

Objective: Research on the manifestations and health correlates of eating disorder symptoms among males is lacking. This study identified patterns of appearance concerns and eating disorder behaviors from adolescence through young adulthood and their health correlates., Method: Participants were 7,067 males from the prospective Growing Up Today Study. Surveys from 1999 to 2007 (spanning ages 13-26 years) provided repeated measures data on muscularity and leanness concerns, eating disorder behaviors (purging, overeating, binge eating, use of muscle-building products), and health correlates (obesity, non-marijuana drug use, binge drinking, and depressive symptoms)., Results: Latent class analyses of observations at ages 13 to 15, 16 to 18, 19 to 22, and 23 to 26 years identified 1 large Asymptomatic class and 4 symptomatic patterns: Body Image Disturbance (high appearance concerns, low eating disorder behaviors; 1.0%-6.0% per age period); Binge Eating/Purging (binge eating and purging, use of muscle-building products, low appearance concerns; 0.1%-2.5%); Mostly Asymptomatic (low levels of muscularity concern, product use, and overeating; 3.5%-5.0%); and Muscularity Concerns (high muscularity concerns and use of products; 0.6%-1.0%). The Body Image Disturbance class was associated with high estimated prevalence of depressive symptoms. Males in the Binge Eating/Purging and Muscularity Concerns classes had high prevalence of binge drinking and drug use. Despite exhibiting modestly greater appearance concerns and eating disorder behaviors than the Asymptomatic class, being in the Mostly Asymptomatic class was prospectively associated with adverse health outcomes., Conclusion: Results underscore the importance of measuring concerns about leanness, muscularity, and use of muscle-building products when assessing eating disorder presentations among males in research and clinical settings., (Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Suicidal ideation is relatively common among people with eating disorders (EDs). The Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide holds that suicidal ideation has two proximal causes: thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. It is unknown which ED symptoms are positively associated with suicidal ideation, and whether thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness explain those associations., Method: We tested two parallel mediation models to determine whether current and lifetime ED symptoms were positively related to suicidal ideation through thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness among ED patients (n=98), controlling for current depression. In each model, ED symptoms and depression were predictors, thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness were mediators, and suicidal ideation was the outcome., Results: The first model included current symptoms; current body dissatisfaction (ab=0.04, 95% CI [0.01, 0.06]) and fasting (ab=0.12, 95% CI [0.01, 0.22]) were indirectly related to increased suicidal ideation through higher burdensomeness, controlling for depression. The second model included lifetime symptoms; lifetime fasting (ab=0.18, 95% CI [0.07, 0.29]) was indirectly related to increased suicidal ideation through higher burdensomeness, controlling for depression., Limitations: The sample size prevented the use of latent variables for thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, and the cross-sectional data prevented testing for bidirectional relations among ED symptoms, thwarted belongingness, perceived burdensomeness, and suicidal ideation., Conclusions: Results underscore the importance of exploring transdiagnostic ED symptoms, including body dissatisfaction and fasting in particular, that may intensify burdensomeness and thereby contribute to suicidal ideation over and above depressive symptoms in this high-risk population., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Leptin secretory dynamics across the weight spectrum and their relationship with disordered eating psychopathology have not been studied. Our objective was to compare leptin secretory dynamics in 13 anorexia nervosa (AN), 12 overweight/obese (OB) and 12 normal-weight women using deconvolution analysis., Methods: In this cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary referral center, serum leptin levels were obtained every 20  min from 2000 to 0800  h. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was used to measure percent body fat. Disordered eating psychopathology was assessed by the Eating Disorders Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Eating Disorders Inventory-2 (EDI-2)., Results: The groups differed for basal leptin secretion (BASAL) (P=0.02). Mean leptin pulse amplitude, pulse mass, total pulsatile secretion (TPS) and area under the curve (AUC) were significantly different between groups before and after adjustment for BASAL (P<0.0001 for all). Leptin AUC correlated strongly with TPS (r=0.97, P<0.0001) and less with BASAL (r=0.35, P=0.03). On multivariate analysis, only TPS was a significant predictor of leptin AUC (P<0.0001). TPS was inversely associated with most EDE-Q and EDI-2 parameters and the associations remained significant for EDE-Q eating concern (P=0.01), and EDI-2 asceticism, ineffectiveness and social insecurity (P<0.05) after adjusting for BASAL. These relationships were not significant when controlled for percent body fat., Conclusion: Secretory dynamics of leptin differ across weight spectrum, with mean pulse amplitude, mean pulse mass and TPS being low in AN and high in OB. Pulsatile, rather than basal secretion, is the major contributor to leptin AUC. Decreased pulsatile leptin is associated with disordered eating psychopathology, possibly reflecting low percent body fat in AN., (© 2016 European Society of Endocrinology.)