Relations of alexithymic characteristics with eating attitudes and hostility in female college students

We examined the correlations of alexithymic characteristics with the expres sion of unfavorable feelings such as anger and hostility and abnormal eatin g attitudes and behaviors in a sample of 278 Japanese female college studen ts. Mean scores on the Eating Attitude Inventory, MMPI Hostility, and State -Trait Anger Expression Inventory were significantly higher for female coll ege students with alexithymic characteristics than for those with nonalexit hymic characteristics. Multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that t he significant relationships between alexithymic characteristics and oral c ontrol of the eating attitudes were controlled by scores on anger-in and an ger control, suggesting that anger-in and anger control may mediate the rel ationship between alexithymic characteristics and abnormal eating attitudes .