BODY-WEIGHT, DIETING, AND EATING DISORDER SYMPTOMS AMONG COLLEGE-STUDENTS, 1982 TO 1992

The authors sought to examine changes in prevalence of dieting behavio r and eating disorder symptoms from 1982 to 1992. Method: In 1982, 625 women and 276 men participated in a study examining body weight, eati ng habits, dieting tendencies, and eating disorder symptoms. Ten years later 564 women and 235 men at the same college completed a nearly id entical survey. Similar random sampling methods were used for both stu dies. All respondents were classified into one of five groups (nondiet er, dieter, problem dieter, subclinical eating disorder, or eating dis order according to DSM-III-R criteria). Results: On almost all measure s there were significant reductions of problematic eating behaviors an d disordered attitudes about body, weight, and shape from 1982 to 1992 . The estimated prevalence of bulimia nervosa dropped from 7.2% to 5.1 % for women and from 1.1% to 0.4% for men. Binge eating, vomiting, diu retic use, and diet pill use also declined for women during this perio d. Significantly fewer women and men reported chronic dieting in 1992 than in 1382, and there was evidence of improved body image for both s exes. Subjects in 1992 also reported healthier eating habits in terms of dietary intake and meal regularity. Finally, women in 1992 were mor e likely to be overweight and were, on average, five pounds heavier th an their 1382 counterparts. Conclusions: The prevalence of problematic eating behaviors and eating disorder symptoms appears to be abating. However, they remain a significant problem that affects a substantial segment of this population.