The impact of open versus closed weighing on rate of weight gain and length of stay among inpatients with anorexia nervosa.

Overview

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious illness associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Few data exist to guide practice regarding sharing daily weight information (open weighing) or withholding it (closed weighing) from patients. We investigated the effect of open versus closed weighing on weight-related outcomes among inpatients with AN. Data were collected during a 4-month period when 43 patients were not told their daily weight, and a consecutive 4-month period when 41 patients were told their weights during rounds. There was no significant difference in mean overall weight change (3.6 ± 2.7 kg vs. 3.5 ± 2.5 kg), hospital duration (14.3 ± 10.0 vs. 14.2 ± 7.6 days), or rate of weight gain (0.26 ± 0.11 vs. 0.25 ± 0.13 kg) between groups. It is possible that one weighing procedure may not be preferable with respect to certain clinical outcomes for inpatients with AN, suggesting there may be multiple ways to navigate the discussion of weight progress in weight restoration programs.