Impact of pre-treatment weight on weight trajectory in women treated for bulimia nervosa

Objective: To describe and evaluate changes in weight-related measures over 5-year follow-up for weight status groups identified at pre-treatment. Methods: Participants were 134 non-pregnant women who had participated in a randomized clinical trial for bulimia nervosa. Women were categorized according to their p re-treatment body mass index (BMI; weight in kg/height in m(2)) into the following groups: tow weight (BMI <20), normal weight (BMI 20-25) and overweight (>25). Participants were assessed across treatment and at yearly intervals (or more) over 5-year follow-up. Results: Descriptive data and repeated measures analyses of variance show a trend for patients identified as being overweight at pre-treatment to change (gain) more in weight and BMI over time than low weight or normal weight groups. Conclusion: Weight status groups identified at pre-treatment may have different patterns of weight change over time. Copyright (C) 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.