I decided to repost my answer to Annabel, to see if anyone else can
relate to the two articles that I am quoting. I could relate to a few
items on their lists. The second article, which I am quoting only
partially, is a great read!

I dug up two very interesting references to which I can relate myself,
to a small extent.

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0GDQ/is_3_25/ai_58669772

``TABLE 1

Eating Behaviors of Victims of Semistarvation and Starvation-Research
Volunteers Long After Food Was Plentifully Available

Behavior/source

Voracious appetites followed by large and rapid food
intake[9,11,16-18,21,44]
Lack of control and distress over amounts eaten[11,17,20,21]
Complaints of hunger despite huge meals[17,21]
Belief that eating triggers hunger[17]
Cravings and preference (carbohydrates, tats,
sweets)[5,18-20,45]
Obsession with food[10,11,14,15,17,19,45,46]
Secrecy and defensiveness over food[9,10,17,18]
New preoccupation with body shape and weight[17,47]
Impulsivity (shopping for nonfood items, self-harm,
anger, violence)[18,20,21]
Scavenging or eating from garbage containers[11,18,20]
Stealing, hiding, hoarding food[10,20,21]
Manipulating others for food[9]
Making bizarre mixtures of food[18]
Eating unpalatable and inappropriate food (raw meat,
scraps)[20,21]
Thickening foods (with flour, oatmeal)[8]
Excessive flavoring (eg, with tea, coffee, lemon crystals)[8]
Excessive heating of food[24]
Excessive spicing of food[24]
Poor table manners (eg, licking knives and bottle lids,
collecting crumbs, gnawing at bones)[24]
"Souping" food and "filling up" with liquids[18,20]
Preferring to eat in isolation[17,18]
Self-induced and overeating-induced vomiting[8,19,20]
Dreading having to choose foods to eat[17]
Self-deprecation and negative affect from eating habits[17,20]
Taking drastic measures to resist binges[20]
Recidivist binge eating despite interference with quality
of life[8,9,18,45,47]
''

another good one, which I am quoting partially, but which makes a
fascinating read.

http://river-centre.org/StarvSympt.html

``As starvation progressed, the number of men who toyed with their
food increased. They made what under normal conditions would be weird
and distasteful concoctions, (p. 832). . . Those who ate in the common
dining room smuggled out bits of food and consumed them on their bunks
in a long-drawn-out ritual, (p. 833). . . Toward the end of starvation
some of the men would dawdle for almost two hours after a meal which
previously they would have consumed in a matter of minutes,
(p. 833). . . Cookbooks, menus, and information bulletins on food
production became intensely interesting to many of the men who
previously h ad little or no interest in dietetics or agriculture,
(p. 833). [The volunteers] often reported that they got a vivid
vicarious pleasure from watching other persons eat or from just
smelling food. (p. 834)

In addition to cookbooks and collecting recipes, some of the men even
began collecting coffeepots, hot plates, and other kitchen
utensils. According to the original report, hoarding even extended to
non-food-related items such as "old books, unnecessary second-hand
clothes, knick knacks, and other 'junk.? Often after making such
purchases, which could be afforded only with sacrifice, the men would
be puzzled as to why they had bought such more or less useless
articles" (p. 837). One man even began rummaging through garbage
cans. This general tendency to hoard has been observed in starved
anorexic patients (Crisp, Hsu, & Harding, 1980) and even in rats
deprived of food (Fantino & Cabanac, 1980). Despite little interest in
culinary matters prior to the experiment, almost 40% of the men
mentioned cooking as part of their postexperiment plans. For some, the
fascination was so great that they actually changed occupations after
the experiment; three became chefs, and one went into agriculture!

The Minnesota subjects were often caught between conflicting desires
to gulp their food down ravenously and consume it slowly so that the
taste and odor of each morsel would be fully appreciated. Toward the
end of starvation some of the men would dawdle for almost two hours
over a meal which previously they would have consumed in a matter of
minutes. . .they did much planning as to how they would handle their
day's allotment of food. (p. 833) The men demanded that their food be
served hot, and they made unusual concoctions by mixing foods
together, as noted above. There was also a marked increase in the use
of salt and spices. The consumption of coffee and tea increased so
dramatically that the men had to be limited to 9 cups per day;
similarly, gum chewing became excessive and had to be limited after it
was discovered that one man was chewing as many as 40 packages of gum
a day and "developed a sore mouth from such continuous exercise"
(p. 835).

During the 12-week refeeding phase of the experiment, most of the
abnormal attitudes and behaviors in regard to food persisted. A small
number of men found that their difficulties in this area were quite
severe during the first 6 weeks of refeeding:

Binge Eating

During the restrictive dieting phase of the experiment, all of the
volunteers reported increased hunger. Some appeared able to tolerate
the experience fairly well, but for others it created intense concern
and led to a complete breakdown in control. Several men were unable to
adhere to their diets and reported episodes of binge eating followed
by self-reproach. During the eighth week of starvation, one volunteer
flagrantly broke the dietary rules, eating several sundaes and malted
milks; he even stole some penny candies. He promptly confessed the
whole episode, [and] became self-deprecatory" (p. 884). While working
in a grocery store, another man

suffered a complete loss of will power and ate several cookies, a sack
of popcorn, and two overripe bananas before he could "regain control"
of himself. He immediately suffered a severe emotional upset, with
nausea, and upon returning to the laboratory he vomited. . .He was
self-deprecatory, expressing disgust and self-criticism. (p. 887)''

i