Relation of Dietary Restraint Scores to Activation of Reward-Related Brain Regions in Response to Food Intake, Anticipated Intake, and Food Pictures

Prospective studies indicate that individuals with elevated dietary restraint scores are at increased risk for future bulimic symptom onset, suggesting that these individuals may show hyper-responsivity of reward regions to food and food cues. Thus, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the relation of dietary restraint scores to activation of reward-related brain regions in response to receipt and anticipated receipt of chocolate milkshake and exposure to pictures of appetizing foods in 39 female adolescents (mean age = 15.5 ± 0.94). Dietary restraint scores were positively correlated with activation in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in response to milkshake receipt. However, dietary restraint scores did not correlate with activation in response to anticipated milkshake receipt or exposure to food pictures. Results indicate that individuals who report high dietary restraint have a hyper-responsivity in reward-related brain regions when food intake is occurring, which may increase risk for overeating and binge eating.

Physique Anxiety and Disordered Eating Correlates in Female Athletes: Differences in Team and Individual Sports

As female athletes participating in physique-salient sports report similar levels of social physique anxiety (SPA) and disordered eating symptoms compared with those in nonphysique salient sports, alternative factors contributing to disordered eating require consideration, specifically participation in sport type (team vs. individual). This study examined SPA and disordered eating correlates in female athletes (N= 137) in two sport types (team sports and individual sports). Individual sport athletes exhibited higher SPA,F(1, 135) = 22.03,p< .001; dieting, Brown and Forsythe’sF(1, 57.05) = 43.79,p< .001; and bulimic behavior, Brown and Forsythe’sF(1, 59.92) = 13.45,p= .001 than team sport athletes. SPA and sport type together predicted 44% of dieting and 22% of bulimic symptom variance, suggesting that individual-sport athletes with higher SPA experienced greater disordered eating. Involvement in individual sports where physique is more open to social evaluation may contribute to dieting and bulimic symptoms among female athletes.

Symptom fluctuation in bulimia nervosa: relation to menstrual-cycle phase and cortisol levels

Background. Individuals with bulimia nervosa report significant symptom fluctuation, and some studies have suggested a premenstrual exacerbation of binge frequency. The purpose of this study is to explore the hormonal correlates of symptom fluctuation in bulimia nervosa.Method. For five consecutive weeks (one full menstrual cycle), eight women with bulimia nervosa and eight non-eating-disordered control women collected morning saliva samples and recorded several mood characteristics; the bulimic women also recorded binge and purge episodes. Subsequently, salivary cortisol and androgen levels were determined by radioimmunoassay.Results. Bulimic symptoms were exacerbated in both the mid-luteal and premenstrual phases, when compared with the follicular and ovulatory phases (F(3,21)=3·76, P=0·026; contrast analysis t(7)=3·47, P<0·01). Fluctuation in cortisol was closely correlated with fluctuation of bulimic symptoms, with elevated cortisol secretion following symptom exacerbation (r(24)=0·64, P=0·001).Conclusions. Bulimic symptom fluctuation appears to be related to two hormonal phenomena – phase of the menstrual cycle and cortisol secretion – with menstrual-cycle phase influencing bulimic symptom severity, and bulimic symptom severity effecting increases in cortisol secretion. Improved understanding of the hormonal causes and consequences of symptom fluctuation may lead to improved psychological and pharmacological treatments for bulimia nervosa.