TASTE PERCEPTIONS AND HEDONICS IN EATING DISORDERS

Hedonic and intensity ratings of 20 dairy solutions, with varying levels of fat and sucrose, were obtained before and after treatment for anorectic-restrictors, anorectic-bulimics, normal-weight bulimics, and control subjects. There were no differences between diagnostic groups in ability to rate sweetness intensity; all subjects were able to correctly assess increasing sucrose concentration. During the pretreatment test, both bulimic groups showed elevated intensity ratings of lower fat solutions and solutions which contained no sugar as compared with the other two groups. These differences were not present after treatment. There were differences in hedonic ratings between the anorectic groups and the controls, which persisted even after treatment. Both groups of patients showed an aversion to high fat solutions; anorectic-restrictors also demonstrated an aversion to all solutions which contained no sugar. The stability of these hedonic profiles suggests that these responses may be trait characteristics of anorexia nervosa. © 1990.