Is anorexia nervosa a phobic disorder? A psychophysiological enquiry.

Skin conductance changes were measured in nine patients suffering from either frank anorexia nervosa or closely related feeding disorders after presentation of a series of food- and weight-related stimuli in imagination. The conductance changes observed were either absent or small. By contrast, in two of the patients who also had specific phobias, presentation in imagination of the specific feared object led to greater skin conductance changes.