Randomized controlled trial of warming in anorexia nervosa.

Objective: To determine if warming therapy increases the rate of weight gain in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) who are hospitalized for refeeding.

Method: Patients admitted to an eating disorders unit of a university teaching hospital were randomized to treatment and control arms. All patients wore a heating vest for 3 hr a day for 21 days. In the experimental arm, the vest was set to medium heat and in the control arm it was set in the off position.

Results: Twenty-one females were recruited. They had an average age of 28.4 +/- 6.6 years, a body mass index (BMI) of 17.7 +/- 2.8, and the duration of AN lasted 13.6 +/- 6.7 years. Ten subjects were randomized to the treatment arm and 11 to the control arm. Of the 18 completers, there was no difference in the change in BMI.

Discussion: Our study did not demonstrate an increase in the rate of weight gain with warming.