The validity of the distinction between bulimia with and without anorexia nervosa.

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between bulimia in women with anorexia nervosa and bulimia of a similar severity in normal-weight women and to determine the support for the distinction between these two groups according to DSM-III criteria. Results indicated that bulimic women with anorexia nervosa (N = 59) and bulimic normal-weight women (N = 59) resembled each other on most variables and were more similar to each other than to women with anorexia nervosa who rigidly restricted food intake (N = 59). The results failed to support the diagnostic distinction between bulimia in anorexic women and bulimia of equal severity in normal-weight women.