What physiological change might contribute to feelings of fullness in individuals with anorexia nervosa?

The physiological change associated with feelings of fullness in individuals with anorexia nervosa is indeed slowed digestion. In this condition, individuals often significantly reduce their food intake, leading to a series of metabolic and gastrointestinal adaptations. One of the body’s responses to prolonged semi-starvation includes a decrease in gastric motility, which results in food remaining in the stomach for a longer period of time after eating. This slower digestive process can lead individuals to experience sensations of fullness more acutely, as their stomachs retain food longer before sending signals to the brain indicating hunger or the need for more food.

Other changes, such as decreased fat storage, may also affect energy levels and body composition but do not directly influence the sensation of fullness in the same manner. Increased metabolic rate and heightened appetite are generally not consistent with the physiological state of anorexia nervosa; rather, appetite is often diminished due to the psychological and physiological aspects of the disorder. Thus, slowed digestion plays a direct role in the fullness experienced by individuals with this condition.