Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Patterns and prevalence of disordered eating and weight control behaviors in women ages 25–45

  • Original Research Paper
  • Published:
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective: The current study describes detailed eating behaviors, dieting behaviors, and attitudes about shape and weight in 4023 women ages 25 to 45. Method: The survey was delivered on-line and participants were identified using a national quota-sampling procedure. Results: Disordered eating behaviors, extreme weight loss measures, and negative cognitions about shape and weight were widely endorsed by women in this age group and were not limited to White participants. Thirty-one percent of women without a history of anorexia nervosa or binge eating reported having purged to control weight, and 74.5% of women reported that their concerns about shape and weight interfered with their happiness. Discussion: Unhealthy approaches to weight control and negative attitudes about shape and weight are pervasive even among women without eating disorders. The development of effective approaches to address the impact of these unhealthy behaviors and attitudes on the general well-being and functioning of women is required.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Hudson J.I., Hiripi E., Pope H.G., Kessler R.C.: The prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biol. Psychiatry, 61, 348–358, 2007.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Akan G.E., Grilo C.M.: Sociocultural influences on eating attitudes and behaviors, body image, and psychological functioning: a comparison of African- American, Asian-American, and Caucasian college women. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 18, 181–187, 1995.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Levine D.A.: Participation in athletic activities and eating disordered behavior. Eat. Disord., 16, 393–404, 2008.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Ferrier A.G., Martens M.P.: Perceived incompetence and disordered eating among college students. Eat. Behav., 9, 111–119, 2008.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Delinsky S.S., Wilson G.T.: Weight gain, dietary restraint, and disordered eating in the freshman year of college. Eat. Behav., 9, 82–90, 2008.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Cachelin F.M., Rebeck R., Veisel C., Striegel-Moore R.H.: Barriers to treatment for eating disorders among ethnically diverse women. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 30, 269–278, 2001.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Franko D.L., Becker A.E., Thomas J.T., Herzog D.B.: Cross-ethnic differences in eating disorder symptoms and related distress. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 40, 156–164, 2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Taylor J.Y., Caldwell C.H., Baser R.E., Faison N., Jackson J.S.: Prevalence of eating disorders among Blacks in the National Survey of American Life. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 40, Suppl., S10–S14, 2007.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Striegel-Moore R.H., Dohm F.A., Kraemer H.C., Taylor C.B., Daniels S., Crawford P.B., Schreiber G.B.: Eating disorders in white and black women. Am. J. Psychiatry, 160, 1326–1331, 2003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Alegria M., Woo M., Cao Z., Torres M., Meng X.L., Striegel-Moore R.: Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in Latinos in the United States. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 40, Suppl., S15–S21, 2007.

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Nicdao E.G., Hong S., Takeuchi D.T.: Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders among Asian Americans: results from the National Latino and Asian American Study. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 40, Suppl., S22–26, 2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Reagan P., Hersch J.: Influence of race, gender, and socioeconomic status on binge eating frequency in a population-based sample. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 38, 252–256, 2005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Hay P.: The epidemiology of eating disorder behaviors: an Australian community-based survey. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 23, 371–382, 1998.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Gauvin L., Steiger H., Brodeur J.M.: Eating-disorder symptoms and syndromes in a sample of urbandwelling Canadian women: Contributions toward a population health perspective. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 42, 158–165, 2009.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Paeratakul S., York-Crowe E.E., Williamson D.A., Ryan D.H., Bray G.A.: Americans on diet: results from the 1994–1996 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals. J. Am. Diet. Assoc., 102, 1247–1251, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Marcus M.D., Bromberger J.T., Wei H.L., Brown C., Kravitz H.M.: Prevalence and selected correlates of eating disorder symptoms among a multiethnic community sample of midlife women. Ann. Behav. Med., 33, 269–277, 2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Ahluwalia I.B., Ford E.S., Link M., Bolen J.C.: Acculturation, weight, and weight-related behaviors among Mexican Americans in the United States. Ethn. Dis., 17, 643–649, 2007.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Ayala G.X., Mickens L., Galindo P., Elder J.P.: Acculturation and body image perception among Latino youth. Ethn. Health, 12, 21–41, 2007.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. York-Crowe E.E., Williamson D.A.: Health and appearance concerns in young Caucasian and African- American women. Eat. Weight. Disord., 10, e38–44, 2005.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Gluck M.E., Geliebter A.: Racial/ethnic differences in body image and eating behaviors. Eat. Behav., 3, 143–151, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Altabe M.: Ethnicity and body image: quantitative and qualitative analysis. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 23, 153–159, 1998.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Warren C.S., Gleaves D.H., Cepeda-Benito A., Fernandez Mdel C., Rodriguez-Ruiz S.: Ethnicity as a protective factor against internalization of a thin ideal and body dissatisfaction. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 37, 241–249, 2005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Bulik C.M., Tozzi F., Anderson C., Mazzeo S.E., Aggen S., Sullivan P.F.: The relation between eating disorders and components of perfectionism. Am. J. Psychiatry, 160, 366–368, 2003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Neale B.M., Mazzeo S.E., Bulik C.M.: A twin study of dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger: an examination of the eating inventory (three factor eating questionnaire). Twin Res., 6, 471–478, 2003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Slof R., Mazzeo S., Bulik C.M.: Characteristics of women with persistent thinness. Obes. Res., 11, 971–977, 2003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Berbrier M.: Disempowering minorities: a critique of Wilkinson’s ‘task for social scientists and practitioners’ — response to article by Doris Wilkinson. J. Sociol. Sol. Welf., 27, 115, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Paniagua F.A.: Implications of the United States census 2000 in analyzing and reporting new findings of disparities in health. Psychol. Rep., 97, 29–32, 2005.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Wilkinson D.: Rethinking the concept of ‘minority’: a task for social scientists and practitioners. J. Sociol. Soc. Welf., 27, 115–132, 2000.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Rowe R., Pickles A., Simonoff E., Bulik C.M., Silberg J.L.: Bulimic symptoms in the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development: correlates, comorbidity, and genetics. Biol. Psychiatry, 51, 172–182, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. First M., Spitzer R., Gibbon M., Williams J.: Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Research Version, Patient Edition. New York, Biometrics Research, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Gschwend T.: Analyzing quota sample data and the peer-review process. Fr. Polit., 3, 88–91, 2005.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Berinsky A.J.: American Public Opinion in the 1930s and 1940s — The analysis of quota-controlled sample survey data. Public Opin. Q., 70, 499–529, 2006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Rivers D., Simpser A., Levendusky M., Chang L., Gershkoff A., Agrawal A.: Comparing the results of probability and non-probability sample surveys. Miami Beach, FL, American Association for Public Opinion Research, 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  34. United States Census Bureau. American Community Survey. 2006.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Defining overweight and obesity. Atlanta, GA, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2009. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/defining.htm, accessed 31 December 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Ogden C.L., Carroll M.D., Curtin L.R., McDowell M.A., Tabak C.J., Flegal K.M.: Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999–2004. JAMA, 295, 1549–1555, 2006.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Pew Internet & American Life Project: Networked Family Survey. 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  38. Hoek H.W.: The incidence and prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa in primary care. Psychol. Med., 21, 455–460, 1991.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Bulik C.M., Sullivan P.F., Tozzi F., Furberg H., Lichtenstein P., Pedersen N.L.: Prevalence, heritability, and prospective risk factors for anorexia nervosa. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 63, 305–312, 2006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Szabo P., Tury F.: [Prevalence of clinical and subclinical forms of anorexia and bulimia nervosa among working females and males]. Orv. Hetil., 136, 1829–1835, 1995.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Wade T.D., Bergin J.L., Tiggemann M., Bulik C.M., Fairburn C.G.: Prevalence and long-term course of lifetime eating disorders in an adult Australian twin cohort. Aust. N. Z. J. Psychiatry, 40, 121–128, 2006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Fulkerson J.A., French S.A.: Cigarette smoking for weight loss or control among adolescents: gender and racial/ethnic differences. J. Adolesc. Health, 32, 306–313, 2003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  43. Sanchez-Johnsen L.A., Fitzgibbon M.L., Ahluwalia J.S., Spring B.J.: Eating pathology among Black and White smokers. Eat. Behav., 6, 127–136, 2005.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Ward K.D., Vander Weg M.W., Kovach K.W., Klesges R.C., DeBon M.W., Haddock C.K., Talcott G.W., Lando H.A.: Ethnic and gender differences in smoking and smoking cessation in a population of young adult air force recruits. Am. J. Health Promot., 16, 259–266, 2002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  45. Wright K.B.: Researching internet-based populations: advantages and disadvantages of online survey research, online questionnaire authoring software packages, and web survey services. J.C.M.C., 10, 1–19, 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  46. Bordo S.: Unbearable weight: feminism, Western culture, and the body. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Brumberg J.J.: Fasting girls: the history of anorexia nervosa. New York, Random House, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#7160, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7160, USA

    L. Reba-Harrelson, A. Von Holle, R. M. Hamer, M. L. Reyes &  C. M. Bulik

  2. Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    L. Reba-Harrelson

  3. Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    R. M. Hamer

  4. Department of Maternal and Child Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    R. Swann

  5. Department of Nutrition, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    C. M. Bulik

Authors
  1. L. Reba-Harrelson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. A. Von Holle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. M. Hamer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. Swann
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. L. Reyes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. C. M. Bulik
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. M. Bulik.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Reba-Harrelson, L., Von Holle, A., Hamer, R.M. et al. Patterns and prevalence of disordered eating and weight control behaviors in women ages 25–45. Eat Weight Disord 14, e190–e198 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325116

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325116

Key words

Search

Navigation