AbstractTwenty females meeting DSM‐III criteria for bulimia, and 12 age‐ and sex‐matched controls underwent a 60‐min intravenous glucose tolerance test. Blood samples were taken at −10, 0, 5, 10, 20, 30, 45, and 60 min after the glucose injection. At these times, subjects completed a mood rating scale Profile of Mood States (POMS) and a subjective self‐report questionnaire addressing both food cravings and thirst, as well as the urge to binge and subjective control over food intake. Blood levels of tryptophan, tyrosine, valine, leucine, phenylalanine, and isoleucine were measured at 0 and 60 min after the injection. Although equivalent at baseline, the blood glucose levels of bulimics at 5 min and insulin/glucagon ratio at 20, 30, and 45 min following injection were reduced in comparison to controls. Blood valine levels were also lower among the bulimic group. There were no differences between the bulimics and normal controls at baseline on subjective self‐report measures of urge to binge, control over food intake, carbohydrate (CHO) craving or fatigue. following the glucose injection, however, the observed physiological differences between the two groups were accompanied by increased subjective cravings for sweets and fruits, an enhanced urge to binge, and less subjective control over food intake for bulimics as compared with controls. The bulimics also reported increased fatigue in response to glucose, whereas controls reported feeling less fatigued. The results suggest that abnormal physiological responses to blood glucose are accompanied by alterations in both food cravings and mood, which may promote binging among bul
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