Meal patterning in the treatment of bulimia nervosa.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined the relationship between changes in meal and snack consumption and eating disorder behaviors in a treatment sample of bulimic adults.

METHOD: Eighty adults with bulimia nervosa (BN) were randomized to one of two treatments. Meal and snack consumption, binge eating frequency, and purging behavior frequency were assessed at baseline, end-of-treatment, and at four month follow-up using the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE).

RESULTS

Generalized linear models indicated that increased consumption of evening meals over the course of treatment was related to a significant decrease in the rate of binge eating and purging at four month follow-up; these results remained significant when controlling for changes in depression over the course of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings support the importance of focusing efforts on developing a pattern of regular evening meal consumption among individuals in the treatment of BN.