In this study, we aim to assess the role of weight suppression (WS) in eating disorders, not only from a quantitative point of view but also assessing the speed of the weight loss by using a new parameter: the weight loss rate (WLR). We analysed the role of these two indexes in different eating disorders domains, considering both eating behaviours and outcome profiles.

The sample consisted of 414 patients, including 62 with AN binge purge subtype (ANBP), 146 with AN restrictive subtype (ANR) and 206 with bulimia nervosa (BN). Data about response to treatment were available for a subsample of 201 patients. A cross-sectional design was used for the clinical symptoms detected during the initial assessment and a longitudinal design was adopted for the response to treatment analysis.

No significant relationship emerged between both WS and WLR and variables collected at baseline assessment. We observed, on the contrary, a significant association between WS and weight gain at the end of treatment. High WLR predicted remission of binge eating and compensatory behavior in BN patients. We further analyzed our data to identify threshold values of both WS and WLR of clinical utility.

The role of WS and WLR as predictive factors in the outcome of eating disorders is of great interest and these initial results remark the usefulness of collecting these data during the initial assessment in order to plan a tailored therapeutic intervention.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.