Chewing and spitting in eating disorders and its relationship to binge eating

Chew and spit (CHSP) in a large adolescent sample: prevalence, impact on health-related quality of life, and relation to other disordered eating features

A recent general population study of Chew and Spit (CHSP) behavior in adults found a 0.4% prevalence, predominantly in females. The current study explores this further by examining the same phenomenon in secondary-school aged adolescents. This study also explores the relationship between CHSP and other demographic and eating disorder (ED) features in 5111 adolescents (11-to-19 years of age) from 13 schools in New South Wales, Australia. Participants completed measures of ED symptoms and behaviors and change to impairment with two components: psychological distress (K-10) and health related quality of life (HRQoL; PedsQL). CHSP was found to have a 12.2% (95% CI 0.114, 0.132]) point-prevalence rate. Participants who indicated engaging in CHSP reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress (K-10) and lower HRQoL scores (PedsQL) compared to those that did not report CHSP. There was a dose-response relationship between CHSP frequency, psychological distress and HRQoL physical scores but not for HRQoL emotional and HRQoL social scores. Participants who reported regular CHSP were more likely to be female, younger, and to engage in compensatory behaviors such as purging. The high frequency of CHSP behavior in adolescents with disordered eating could suggest that CHSP should be considered in routine ED screening practices. Future studies may examine how to treat CHSP or investigate more focused treatment approaches, in order to target the behavior of CHSP more directly.

Chew and spit (CHSP) in bariatric patients: a case series

BACKGROUND

Studies into the disordered eating behaviour of chew and spit have alluded to several cohorts more likely to engage in the behaviour, one such group being bariatric surgery candidates and patients. Weight-loss surgery candidates have received little to no attention regarding engaging in chew and spit behaviour. Changes in pre- and post- surgery eating pathology related to chew and spit behaviour has yet to be explored and described in academic literature.

CASE PRESENTATION

The current study reports on three cases of individual women, aged 30, 35, and 62 respectively, who indicated engagement in chew and spit. All three cases underwent bariatric surgery (two underwent gastric bypass, one underwent vertical sleeve gastrectomy). Eating pathology-including chew and spit behaviour, anxiety and depression, and adherence to the Norwegian nutritional guidelines were examined pre-operatively and post-operatively (one and two-year follow-up). At baseline (pre-surgery), two participants reported that they engaged in chew and spit, compared to one patient post-surgery. All three cases reported that they, to at least some extent, adhered to dietary guidelines post-surgery. Subjective bingeing frequency appeared to be relatively low for all three cases, further declining in frequency at one-year follow-up. At baseline, one participant reported clinically significant depression and anxiety, with no clinically significant depression or anxiety reported at follow-ups in participants that chew and spit.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study provides a starting point for the exploration of chew and spit as a pathological symptom of disordered eating in bariatric patients. It highlights the need to further explore chew and spit before and after weight-loss surgery.

Chew and Spit (CHSP): An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA)

Chew and Spit (CHSP) is a prevalent disordered eating symptom and has been thought to be associated with a number of adverse effects. In the current study, 18 participants (>90% female, aged between 18 and 51) took part in answering questions about their experiences, struggles, concerns, methods of coping, and personal meaning of CHSP and how it has impacted their lives. Data collection and analysis were conducted in accordance with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology. Findings revealed 7 primary themes of CHSP, which highlighted that CHSP may be: (1) associated with negative emotions - primarily shame; (2) exacerbated by stress and may be a mechanism to help regain control; (3) temporarily provides pleasure; (4) a distraction or form of escapism; (5) a self-soothing or coping mechanism; (6) addictive, ritualistic, and similar to other eating disorders in that it can become part of an individual's self-identity; and (7) adversely impacting psychological, physiological, and social health. Some of the identified superordinate themes were in line with previous studies hypotheses. However, overall the findings indicated that individuals who CHSP are often embroiled in what they may perceive as a struggle, with no specific, efficacious, approach to helping them control the behavior. Future studies should focus on the treatment of CHSP, including treatment of CHSP as a potential primary symptom of pathological eating. Moreover, the perceived implications of engaging in CHSP should be examined more closely, with clinicians screening for the behavior and carefully considering their approach when attempting to treat patients for CHSP.

Prevalence of chew and spit and its relation to other features of disordered eating in a community sample

BACKGROUND

Until recently, research into Chew and Spit (CHSP) behavior has predominantly focused on clinical samples, and little is known of its prevalence in the community. The current study aimed to bridge this gap by exploring CHSP features in a representative sample of the general population. We hypothesized that the point-prevalence of CHSP would be less than 1%; concurrent with other eating disorder symptomology, and associated with poorer health related quality of life (HRQoL).

METHODOLOGY

Using the 2016, respondent-based, South Australian Health Omnibus Survey (HOS), data were collected on 3047 participants aged ≥15 years old. HRQoL was assessed with the Short-Form health-questionnaire-v1 (SF-12).

RESULTS

CHSP point prevalence was 0.4% (95% CI .23 to .69%; n = 13), and was more prevalent in people with compensatory disordered eating behaviors. The median age of those with CHSP was 39, and both mental and physical HRQoL were reduced compared with the general population (Mdn: MHQoL = 49; HRQoL = 50), with MHQoL being significantly lower in those with symptoms of a clinically diagnosable ED and concurrently engaged in CHSP (z = -2.33, p = .020).

CONCLUSIONS

Due to the low prevalence of CHSP, the reliability of inferential statistics may increase the chance of Type II errors, therefore, future studies should use larger samples. Although CHSP is not "common" in a wider community sample, its prevalence appears to be similar to other ED associated symptoms.

Chew and Spit (CHSP): a systematic review

BACKGROUND

This systematic review is an evaluation of the empirical literature relating to the disordered eating behaviour Chew and Spit (CHSP). Current theories postulate that CHSP is a symptom exhibited by individuals with recurrent binge eating and Bulimia Nervosa.

AIMS

The review aimed to identify and critically assess studies that have examined the distribution of CHSP behaviour, its relationship to eating disorders, its physical and psychosocial consequences and treatment.

METHODS

A systematic database search with broad inclusion criteria, dated to January 2016 was conducted. Data were extracted by two authors and papers appraised for quality using a modified Downs and Black Quality Index.

RESULTS

Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. All were of clinical samples and majority (n = 7) were of low quality. The pathological action of chewing food but not swallowing was reported more often in those with restrictive type eating disorders, such as Anorexia Nervosa, than binge eating type disorders. CHSP also was reported to be an indicator of overall severity of an eating disorder and to appear more often in younger individuals. No studies of treatment were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions were limited due to the low quality and small numbers of studies based on clinical samples only. Further research is needed to address gaps in knowledge regarding the physiological, psychological, social, socioeconomic impact and treatment for those engaging in CHSP.

Chewing and spitting out food as a compensatory behavior in patients with eating disorders

OBJECTIVE

Recent studies suggest that chewing and spitting out food may be associated with severe eating-related pathology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between chewing and spitting, and other symptoms of eating disorders. We hypothesized that patients who chew and spit as a compensatory behavior have more severe eating-related pathology than patients who have never engaged in chewing and spitting behavior.

METHOD

We divided 359 patients with eating disorders into two groups according to whether they engaged in chewing and spitting as a compensatory behavior to lose weight or not. After comparing eating-related pathology between the two groups, we examined factors associated with pathologic eating behaviors using logistic regression analysis.

RESULTS

Among our 359 participants, 24.5% reported having engaged in chewing and spitting as a compensatory behavior. The chewing and spitting (CHSP+) group showed more severe eating disorder symptoms and suicidal behaviors. This group also had significantly higher scores on subscales that measured drive for thinness, bulimia, and impulse regulation on the EDI-2, Food Craving Questionnaire, Body Shape Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory.

DISCUSSION

Chewing and spitting is a common compensatory behavior among patients with eating disorders and is associated with more-pathologic eating behaviors and higher scores on psychometric tests.

Chewing and spitting: a marker of psychopathology and behavioral severity in inpatients with an eating disorder

Chewing and spitting out food is a frequent behavior in hospitalized patients with eating disorders (ED). Personality characteristics of those who frequently chew-spit (CHSP), the amount of food consumed during CHSP episodes, associated sense of loss of control overeating (LOC), and clinical response to hospital-based treatment have not been examined and were the focus of this study. Participants (N=324) were inpatients on a behavioral ED specialty unit. A third of the sample (n=107) reported engaging in CHSP in the 8weeks prior to admission with 21% (n=69) reporting CHSP at least once per week. Those who engaged in the behavior at least weekly (CHSP+) were compared to those with less frequent or no CHSP (CHSP-) on demographic and clinical indices and on the EDI, BDI, and the NEO-FFI. Participants were also asked if their CHSP behavior involved a binge-like amount of food (≥1000kcal) or was associated with LOC. The CHSP+ group was more likely to have purging diagnoses. After controlling for purging diagnosis, CHSP+ were found to engage in more restricting, diet pill and laxative use, and excessive exercise, and endorsed greater drive for thinness, body dissatisfaction, depression, and neuroticism than CHSP-. Among all CHSP+ participants, LOC was present in 70% and a minority (n=10, 18%) endorsed recent CHSP on binge-like amounts of food. This behavior should be assessed routinely in all patients, as it appears associated with increased eating behavior severity and increased psychiatric comorbidity at hospital admission.

Re-examination of chewing and spitting behavior: characteristics within and across eating disorder diagnoses

Chewing and spitting (CS) out food is a relatively understudied eating disorder behavior. The aim of this study was to examine lifetime and current frequencies of CS across eating disorder diagnostic groups and to compare the severity of eating disorder symptomatology between participants who did and did not endorse CS. A total of 972 individuals presenting for outpatient eating disorder treatment between 1985 and 1996 completed a questionnaire that included items regarding current and lifetime eating disorder behaviors, including CS. Results indicated that both lifetime and current prevalence estimates of CS varied cross-diagnostically, with CS being more common among those with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa compared to those with eating disorder not otherwise specified. CS was significantly associated with several eating disorder symptoms, including compensatory behaviors, meal restriction, and lower BMI. Those who reported CS were also younger in age compared to those who did not report CS. These findings indicate that CS is associated with more severe eating and weight pathology and is not equally prevalent across eating disorder diagnoses. These results also support the relatively high occurrence of CS and the importance of targeting this behavior in eating disorder treatment. Future research should clarify the correlates, mechanisms, and function of CS in eating disorders.

Modified sham feeding of sweet solutions in women with anorexia nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a disorder of self-starvation characterized by decreased meal size and food intake. While it is possible that reduced food intake in AN reflects an excess of inhibitory factors, e.g., cognitive inhibition related to fear of weight gain or abnormal postingestive negative feedback, it is also possible that decreased intake reflects diminished orosensory stimulation of food intake. This has been difficult to test directly because the amount of food ingested during a test meal by patients with AN reflects an integration of orosensory excitatory, and cognitive, learned, and postingestive inhibitory controls of eating. To begin to dissociate these controls, we adapted the modified sham feeding technique (MSF) to measure the intake of a series of sweetened solutions in the absence of postingestive stimulation. Subjects with AN (n=24) and normal controls (NC, n=10) were randomly presented with cherry Kool Aid solutions sweetened with five concentrations of aspartame (0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.08 and 0.28%) in a closed opaque container fitted with a straw. They were instructed to sip as much as they wanted of the solution during 15 1-minute trials and to spit the fluid out into another opaque container. Subjects with AN sipped less unsweetened solution than NC (p<0.05). Because this difference appeared to account completely for the smaller intakes of sweetened solutions by AN, responsiveness of intake to sweet taste per se was not different in AN and NC. Since MSF eliminated postingestive and presumably cognitive inhibitory controls, and the orosensory response to sweet taste was not different in AN than NC, we conclude that decreased intake by AN subjects under these conditions reflects the increased inhibition characteristic of this disorder that is presumably learned, with a possible contribution of decreased potency of orosensory stimulation by the sipped solutions.

Oral sensory and cephalic hormonal responses to fat and non-fat liquids in bulimia nervosa

Sensory evaluation of food involves endogenous opioid mechanisms. Bulimics typically limit their food choices to low-fat "safe foods" and intermittently lose control and binge on high-fat "risk foods". The aim of this study was to determine whether the oral sensory effects of a fat versus a non-fat milk product (i.e., traditional versus non-fat half-and-half) resulted in different subjective and hormonal responses in bulimic women (n=10) compared with healthy women (n=11). Naltrexone (50mg PO) or placebo was administered 1h before, and blood sampling began 30 min prior to and 29 min after, a 3 min portion controlled modified sham-feeding trial. Following an overnight fast, three morning trials (fat, naltrexone; fat, placebo; and non-fat, placebo) were administered in a random double-blind fashion separated by at least 3 days. Overall, there were no differences between Fat and Non-Fat trials. Hunger ratings (p<0.001) and pancreatic polypeptide levels (p<0.05) were higher for bulimics at baseline. Bulimics also had overall higher ratings for nausea (p<0.05), fatty taste (p<0.01), and fear of swallowing (p<0.005). Bulimics had approximately 40% higher total ghrelin levels at all time points (p<0.001). Hormones and glucose levels were not altered by the modified sham-feeding paradigm. Naltrexone, however, resulted in an overall increase in blood glucose and decrease in ghrelin levels in both groups (p<0.05, for both). These data suggest that bulimic women have different orosensory responses that are not influenced by opioid receptor antagonism, evident in hormonal responses, or dependent on the fat content of a similarly textured liquid.

Modified sham feeding of sweet solutions in women with and without bulimia nervosa

Although it is possible that binge eating in humans is due to increased responsiveness of orosensory excitatory controls of eating, there is no direct evidence for this because food ingested during a test meal stimulates both orosensory excitatory and postingestive inhibitory controls. To overcome this problem, we adapted the modified sham feeding technique (MSF) to measure the orosensory excitatory control of intake of a series of sweetened solutions. Previously published data showed the feasibility of a "sip-and-spit" procedure in nine healthy control women using solutions flavored with cherry Kool Aid and sweetened with sucrose (0-20%). The current study extended this technique to measure the intake of artificially sweetened solutions in women with bulimia nervosa (BN) and in women with no history of eating disorders. Ten healthy women and 11 women with BN were randomly presented with cherry Kool Aid solutions sweetened with five concentrations of aspartame (0, 0.01, 0.03, 0.08 and 0.28%) in a closed opaque container fitted with a straw. They were instructed to sip as much as they wanted of the solution during 1-minute trials and to spit the fluid out into another opaque container. Across all subjects, presence of sweetener increased intake (p<0.001). Women with BN sipped 40.5-53.1% more of all solutions than controls (p=0.03 for total intake across all solutions). Self-report ratings of liking, wanting and sweetness of solutions did not differ between groups. These results support the feasibility of a MSF procedure using artificially sweetened solutions, and the hypothesis that the orosensory stimulation of MSF provokes larger intake in women with BN than controls.

"Tasting and wasting" behavior in non-human primates: aberrant behavior or normal behavior in "times of plenty"

The purpose of this study was to develop a foraging model that engenders large meals. Eight free-feeding baboons were first given periodic access to a chocolate sugar-coated candy (M & Ms) and then a jelly sugar-coated candy (Skittles). Baboons had access to food 24 h each day, but they had to complete a two-phase operant procedure in order to eat. Responding on one lever during a 30-min appetitive phase was required before animals could start a consumption phase, where responding on another lever led to food delivery, i.e., a meal. 3 days a week for 8 or 9 weeks baboons received candy during the first meal and then food pellets were available: a 2 month interval when only pellets were available separated periods of candy access. All baboons ate as much candy in the single candy meal as they did pellets throughout the remainder of the day. Beginning week 5 of M & M access, five baboons began to waste a large number of M & Ms by spitting them out. Baboons wasted few Skittles or pellets. Pellet intake was less, but total caloric intake was greater on days that animals had access to either candy. Pellet, but not candy eating varied between males and females: males began eating pellets sooner in the day, ate more pellet meals and more pellets. Periodic access to a preferred candy food engendered large amounts of candy consumption in all baboons, and periodic access to M & Ms engendered food tasting and wasting behavior in 5 of 8 baboons.

Artificial sweetener use among individuals with eating disorders

Women with eating disorders report using large quantities of artificially sweetened products, but this has not been quantified.

OBJECTIVE

The authors assessed the use of selected artificially sweetened low-calorie products among women with eating disorders compared with controls.

METHOD

Thirty women with anorexia nervosa (18 with the restricting subtype [AN-R] and 12 with the binge/purge subtype [AN-B/P]), 48 women with bulimia nervosa (BN), and 32 healthy control women completed a survey of frequency and amount of consumption of chewing gum, artificially sweetened low-calorie beverages, and packets of artificial sweetener in the previous month.

RESULTS

A greater proportion of women with AN-B/P and BN reported use of each product, compared with women with AN-R and control participants. Among product users, patients with eating disorders reported using greater amounts than controls. Among patients who reported binge eating and/or purging, the quantity of each product used was inversely correlated with body mass index (BMI).

CONCLUSION

These data suggest an increased drive for sweet orosensory stimulation in women with AN and BN.