THE EATING ATTITUDES TEST - COMPARATIVE-ANALYSIS OF FEMALE AND MALE-STUDENTS AT THE PUBLIC-BALLET-SCHOOL-OF-BERLIN

Differentiated examination of eating altitudes and behaviours of femal e and male German ballet school students with particular reference to their age and analysis of common points with and differences from fema le Anorexia nervosa (A.n.) patients. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40 ) was used. Male and female adolescent students of a ballet school and a high school as well as anorectic patients participated in this stud y. EAT totals exhibited by female and male ballet school students were higher with significance than those recorded from high school student s. EAT totals >30 were reached by 21.6% of female ballet school studen ts but by no male ballet school student at all. In the context of cert ain EAT items, a number of differences are described between female ba llet school students, on the one hand, and female A.n. patients, on th e other. No case was identifiable which would satisfy ICD-10 criteria for Anorexia nervosa. Attitudes and behaviours of adolescent female an d male ballet dancers toward eating and their own body should be judge d with due consideration of their specific living conditions.