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BACKGROUND: Efforts to examine alternative classifications (e.g., personality) of anorexia nervosa (AN) using empirical techniques are crucial to elucidate diverse symptom presentations, personality traits, and psychiatric comorbidities. AIMS: The purpose of this study was to use an empirical approach (mixture modeling) to test an alternative classification of AN as categorical, dimensional, or hybrid categorical-dimensional construct based on the co-occurrence of personality psychopathology and eating disorder clinical presentation. METHODS: Patients with AN ( N = 194) completed interviews and questionnaires at treatment admission and 3-month follow-up. Mixture modeling was used to test whether indicators best classified AN as categorical, dimensional, or hybrid. RESULTS: A four-latent class, one-latent dimension mixture model that was variant across groups provided the best fit to the data. Results suggest that all classes were characterized by low self-esteem and self-harming and suicidality tendencies. Individuals assigned to Latent Class 2 (LC2; n = 21) had a greater tendency toward being impulsive and easily angered and having difficulties controlling anger compared with those in LC1 ( n = 84) and LC3 ( n = 66). Moreover, individuals assigned to LC1 and LC3 were more likely to have a poor outcome from intensive treatment compared with those in LC4 ( n = 21). Findings indicate that the dimensional aspect within each class measured frequency of specific eating disorder behaviors but did not predict treatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: These results emphasize the complexity of AN and the importance of considering how facets of clinical presentation beyond eating disorder behaviors may have different treatment and prognostic implications.

Background: Identifying distinct trajectories of change in body weight during inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa (AN) may provide knowledge about the process of weight restoration and may help detect optimal body weight response patterns among individuals who are at risk for not achieving weight restoration or leaving treatment prematurely., Objective: This study explored the extent to which distinct trajectories of change in body weight existed among individuals during inpatient treatment for AN., Design: Group-based trajectory modeling was used to identify distinct trajectories of change in body weight among 500 individuals receiving inpatient treatment for AN., Results: Four distinct trajectories were identified: weight gain ( n = 197), treatment resistant ( n = 177), weight plateau ( n = 82), and weight fluctuate ( n = 44)., Conclusion: Clinically, it is important to consider the heterogeneity of changes in body weight during inpatient treatment to help guide interventions and outcomes.

Background: Binge eating (BE) is a disordered eating behavior that has been linked to the development of eating disorders and obesity, with the latter being a condition with higher prevalence rates among some racial minority groups. Although researchers have begun to examine characteristics of BE among racial minority groups, it is unclear how these differ from White populations., Objective: This article provides an integrative review of published literature within the past decade reporting on the characteristics of BE in minority compared with White racial groups., Method: Health care computerized databases were searched using key terms., Results: Eighteen research studies met the inclusion criteria. More than half of the studies reviewed reported racial differences in some aspect of BE; however, heterogeneity in the definition and measurement of BE limits the ability to compare findings across studies., Conclusions: BE is reported across racial groups. To determine whether meaningful differences in BE exist by race, further studies using the same conceptual and operational definitions of BE are needed., (© The Author(s) 2015.)