This study investigated the prevalence and correlates of eating disordered behaviors among college women. Measures of weight management habits, body image, self-esteem, and degree of endorsement of sociocultural norms regarding thinness were administered to a sample of 682 undergraduate women. The 643 nonanorexic, nonobese subjects were then classified into one of six categories representing severity along an eating-behaviors continuum. The results indicated a high prevalence of both dieting and hinging behaviors among the women. Although only 3% were classified as bulimic, 61% were classified as having some intermediate form of eatingbehavior problem, that is, chronic dieting, binging or purging alone, or subthreshold (subclinical) bulimia. Only 33% of the subjects reported what could be considered normal eating habits. The degree of disturbed eating was strongly correlated with lowered self-esteem, more negative body image, greater tendency to endorse sociocultural beliefs regarding the desirability of female thinness, obsessive thoughts concerning weight and appearance, and interference of weight and appearance concerns with other life domains. We discuss the implications for counseling and research.We thank Gena Speakman for her assistance in data collection and analysis.

Tested theory that adherence to the traditional male gender role and help-seeking attitudes and behaviors are related. Ss were 401 undergraduate men who completed measures of help-seeking attitudes and behaviors, attitudes toward the stereotypic male role, and gender role conflict factors (i.e., success/power/competition, restrictive emotionality, and restrictive affectionate behavior between men). Canonical analysis and regression indicated that traditional attitudes about the male role, concern about expressing emotions, and concern about expressing affection toward other men were each significantly related to negative attitudes toward seeking professional psychological assistance. Restrictive emotionality also significantly predicted decreased past helpseeking behavior and decreased likelihood of future help seeking. The implications of these results for theory, research, and counseling practice are discussed.An earlier draft of this article was presented at the 1988 annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Atlanta.We express our appreciation to Megan L. Hedberg for her assistance with data compilation. We also gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Nancy E. Betz and W. Bruce Walsh for their assistance with research design and thank Michael J. Patton and two anonymous reviewers for their editorial comments on a draft of this article.

The Questionnaire for Eating Disorder Diagnoses (Q-EDD) operationalizes eating disorder criteria of the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders and differentiates (a) between those with and without an eating disorder diagnosis, (b) among eating-disordered, symptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals, and (c) between those with anorexia and bulimia diagnoses. Three studies examined the Q-EDD's psychometric properties. Convergent validity was supported by correspondence between Q-EDD diagnoses and established inventory scores. Criterion validity was supported by high correspondence between Q-EDD and interview or clinician diagnoses. Incremental validity was supported by greater accuracy of Q-EDD diagnoses than those yielded by an established inventory. Test-retest reliability and interscorer agreement were very good. Future use is discussed.Studies concerning the prevalence, correlates, and epidemiology of eating disorders among women have proliferated in recent years, among both counseling psychologists and others. Unfortunately, there are important shortcomings in the ways in which eating disorders are operationalized in this literature, particularly when nonclinical samples such as college students and community women are examined. In these samples, eating-disordered women are selected for

The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT; Garner & Garfinkel, 1979) is one of the most widely used self-report eating disorder instruments. Originally developed to diagnose anorexia nervosa, it is often used in nonclinical samples where it has a high false-positive rate, which is likely due to changes in diagnostic criteria. Because the EAT has not been validated with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed. [DSM-IV]; American Psychiatric Association, 1994) criteria, we examined its criterion validity for discriminating between nonclinical women with and without an undifferentiated DSM-IV eating disorder diagnosis. We also examined differences in mean EAT scores among eating-disordered, symptomatic, and asymptomatic participants. Results show that the EAT has an accuracy rate of at least 90% when used to differentially diagnose those with and without eating disorders and that mean EAT scores differed among eating-disordered, symptomatic, and asymptomatic participants.

MyStudentBody.com-Nutrition is an effective internet-based program that may have wide applicability on college campuses for nutrition education and promoting change in health behaviors.