Eating disorder severity and psychological morbidity in adolescents with anorexia nervosa or atypical anorexia nervosa and premorbid overweight/obesity

Purpose A significant proportion of adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) or atypical anorexia nervosa (AAN) experience premorbid overweight/obesity, yet distinct characteristics among this subset of patients remain unclear. This study examined eating disorder (ED) symptom severity, psychological morbidity, and weight stigma in patients with premorbid overweight/obesity as compared to patients with premorbid normal weights. Methods Participants included adolescents with AN or AAN (aged 12–18) who received multidisciplinary treatment at a pediatric medical center in the United States. ED symptoms, anxiety, and depression were compared among patients with premorbid overweight/obesity ( n = 43) and premorbid normal weights ( n = 63). Associations between weight stigma, ED severity, and psychological morbidity were also examined. Results Patients with premorbid overweight/obesity reported greater ED severity ( p = 0.04), anxiety ( p