Research - Eating Disorders Anorexia

Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) is a simple and rapid technique to measure body composition (BC). Validity of BIA in patients with low body mass index (BMI) remains controversial. We assessed the validity of several BIA equations to evaluate fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM) and muscle mass in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) by using dual X ray absorptiometry (DXA) as reference.

Visfatin is an adipose tissue-derived hormone shown to correlate with visceral fat mass in patients with obesity. Its possible role in patients with different types of eating disorders is unknown. We measured fasting serum levels of visfatin and leptin and surrogate measures of insulin sensitivity in 10 untreated patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), 10 untreated patients with bulimia nervosa (BN) and 20 age-matched healthy women (C) to study the possible role of visfatin in these disorders.

To evaluate the use of an inexpensive hand-held bioelectric impedance analysis machine which measures lean body mass, by technical comparisons against standard instruments and techniques (an in-house bioelectric impedance machine and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry), and by performing body composition analyses in groups of potentially malnourished patients.

Weight is commonly used as a means of monitoring progress in the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa, but it is a crude measure of health. Patients have a fear of weight gain, particularly becoming "fat",. A more detailed measure was needed to provide accurate information to patients as to what their weight gain entailed.