Food aversions in eating disorders.

The food aversions of a group of anorexia nervosa patients, bulimia nervosa patients, and no eating disordered individuals (controls) were compared. An open questionnaire was used to obtain data on the eating aversions of each of the three populations. The foodstuffs were placed in categories according to their nutritional value. They were also converted into nutrients, and the average value for each population was calculated. With the exception of the 'legumes' and 'dry fruits' categories, the degree of aversion towards the other food groups detected in the individuals with eating disorders was significantly greater than that detected in controls. Aversion towards food with a high protein content (meat, fish, milk and eggs) was characteristic of patients with eating disorders and is a source of clinical problems, which are discussed in this article.