Nine women diagnosed as having primary anorexia nervosa (ANs), five women diagnosed as having bulimia (Bs), and seven normal control women (NCs) were tested for perception of taste quality and intensity using the method of magnitude estimation. The four taste stimuli used were sucrose, hydrochloric acid (HCI), sodium chloride (NaCl), and quinine hydrochloride (QHCI). Four different log molar concentrations of each of these four taste stimuli were employed. No significant differences were found among the three groups in ability to identify taste quality. However, there were significant differences (p <.05) in magnitude estimates of the 3 higher concentrations of the HCI solution, the 2 higher concentrations of the sucrose and NaCl solutions, and the QHCl solution of the highest concentration. The magnitude estimates of the ANs and Bs were consistently lower than those of the NCs. The results indicate that poor gustatory sensitivity is significantly associated with the abnormal eating behavior characteristic of both anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

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Results indicate that obese binge eaters have more psychological distress than nonbingers, and that these differences tend to persist even during weight loss.