Risk factors in eating disorders

In order to evaluate the ocurrence of anorexia and bulimia nervosas in Mexican students, to evaluate the relationship between risk factors and eating disorders, and to verify if there are differences between normal subjects and subjects with eating disorders with regard to the risk factors, 524 college students (mean = 19.3 years), were given the E.A.T.-40, B.U.L.I.T. and E.D.I tests. Those students who exceded the cut point of E.A.T.-40 and B.U.L.I.T. were classified as having an eating disorder (anorexics n= 27; bulimics n= 17. The risk factors were obtained from some scales of the E.D.I. We found significant differences between the eating disorders sample and the control group when risk factors were assessed. Insatisfaccion of the corporal image, Social Presure, Desire of Thinness, Inefectiveness, Interpersonal Distrust and Perfeccionism factors were correlated significantly with the E.A.T.-40.