Researchers examined 46 prepubescent girls who were an average of 13 years old and weighed about 77 pounds, with heights that were below average.
During their first year of treatment, the Swedish girls rapidly gained weight. The weight gain slowed down in subsequent years, writes study author Dr. Ingemar Swenne of Uppsala University Children's Hospital.
The girls remained shorter than average in the first year. However, the study found that during the second to fourth years of treatment, they caught-up to their peers in height.
"It is notable that the longstanding effect of under-nutrition on growth does not reverse easily," Swenne writes.
"The data therefore suggest that temporary weight loss or even temporary stagnation of weight gain during treatment may influence growth in stature for longer periods than hitherto recognized," the researcher adds.
In a follow-up with the girls, researchers found that three out of four girls had started their periods. During the last check-up, the girls had reached heights and weights that were on par with the general population. Even those that had not begun their period had increases in height and weight, reports Reuters Health.
"The current investigation shows that catch-up growth is achieved in underweight and growth-retarded girls with eating disorders once nutritional intake is sufficient to produce weight gain," writes Swenne.
The study is published in the December issue of the International Journal of Eating Disorders.
