In class and in your text, we have been discussing the biological bases for thirst and hunger. As the number of young people diagnosed with eating disorders increases, research into these topics has become increasingly important.

Anorexia and bulimia have both become increasingly prevalent during the last decade. This is partially attributed to societal pressures to control one's weight (Streigel-Moore, Silberstein, & Robin, 1986) and social contagion (Crandall, 1988). Sometimes athletes are under pressure to maintain certain weights that may lead to eating disorders (e.g., Oppliger, Landry, Foster, & Lambrecht, 1993; Sundgot-Borgen, 1993). Prevalence estimates have ranged form 2% to over 18% in women (Thelen, McLaughlin-Mann, Pruitt, & Smith, 1987). While no longer rare, these eating disorders are more prevalent among normal-weight women than men. According to the American Psychiatric Association's (1987) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd Edition (DSM-III-R), the essential features of Anorexia Nervosa are:

• ...refusal to maintain body weight over a minimal normal weight for age and height; intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight; a distorted body image; and amenorrhea (in females)...
• ...People with this disorder say they "feel fat," or that parts of their body are "fat," when they are obviously underweight or even emaciated. They are preoccupied with their body size and usually dissatisfied with some feature of their physical appearance.
• Weight loss is generally accomplished by a reduction in total food intake, often with extensive exercising. Frequently there is also self-induced vomiting or use of laxatives or diuretics. (In such cases, Bulimia Nervosa may also be present.)(pg. 65)

The essential features of bulimia, according to the DSM-III-R, are:

• ...recurrent episodes of binge eatnig (rapid consumption of a large amount of food in a discrete period of time); a feeling of lack of control over eating behavior during the eating binges; self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives or diuretics, strict dieting or fasting, or vigorous exercise in order to prevent weight gain; and persistent overconcern with body shape and weight. In order to qualify for the diagnosis, the person must have had, on average, a minimum of two binge eating episodes a week for at least three months.
• Eating binges may be planned. The food consumed during a binge often has high caloric content, a sweet taste, and a texture that facilitates rapid eating. The food is usually eaten as inconspicuously as possible, or secretely. The food is usually gobbled down quite rapidly, with little chewing. Once eating has begun, additional food may be sought to continue the binge. A binge is usually terminated by abdominal discomfort, sleep, social interruption, or induced vomiting...(pg. 67)

Various self-report questionnaires have been divised to assess symptoms of these eating disorders. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT; Garner & Garfinkel, 1979) and the Eating Disorder Inventory (Garner, Olmstead, & Polivy, 1983) assess the cognitive and behavioral characteristics of eating disorders. These questionnaires have been used to identify abnormal eating patterns among college students (e.g., Berg, 1988; Hart & Ollendick, 1985; Lundholm & Wolins, 1987). An excellent self-report questionnaire which assesses symptoms of bulimia is the BULIT (Smith & Thelen, 1984) or BULIT-R (THeneln, Farmer, Wonderlich, & Smith, 1991).

Your task for this assignment is to complete a modified version of the BULIT-R that you will be given in class. This survey is completely anonymous, and your name will not appear on any data sheet. Rather, the purpose of the data collection is for class discussion only. In class, only the pooled data from the entire class will be presented and discussed.

If you are uncomfortable taking the survey, you need not do so. Simply come to class and be ready to discuss the class results the following day.

If you are comfortable taking the survey, score it in the following way:

References

American Psychiatric Association. (1987). Diagnostic and Statistical Maual of Mental Disorders.(Revised 3rd Edition).Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association.

Berg, K.M. (1988). The prevalence of eating disorders in co-ed versus single-sex residence halls. Journal of College Student Development, 29, 125-131.

Crandall, C.S. (1988). Social contagion of binge eating. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55, 588-598.

Crawford, H.J., & Christensen, L.B. (1995). Developing Research Skills: A Laboratory Manual, 3rd. Edition. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Garner, D., & Garfinkel, P.E. (1979). The Eating Attitudes Test: An index of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine, 9, 1-7.

Garner, E.M., Olmstead, M.P., & Polivy, J. (1983). Development and validation of a multidimentional eating disorder inventory of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2, 15-34.

Hart, K., & Ollendick, T.H. (1985). Prevalence of bulimia in working and university women. American Journal of Psychiatry, 142, 851-854.

Lundholm, J.K, & Wolins, L. (1987). Disordered eating and weight control behaviors among male and female university students. Addictive Behaviors, 12, 275-279.

Opplinger, R.A., Landry, G.L., Foster, S.W., & Lambrecht, A.C. (1993). Bulimic behaviors among interscholastic wrestlers: A statewide survey. Pediatrics, 91, 826-831.

Smith, D.M., & Thelen, M.H. (1984). Development and validation of a test for bulimia. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 863-872.

Streigel-Moore, R.H., Silberstein, L.R., & Rodin, J. (1986). Toward an understanding of risk factors for bulimia. American Psychologist, 41, 246-263.

Sundgot-Borgen, J. (1993). Prevalence of eating disorders in elite female athletes. International Journal of Sport Nutrition, 3, 29-40.

Thelen, M.H., Farmer, J., Wonderlich, S., & Smith, M. (1991). A revision of the Bulimia Test: the BULIT-R. Psychological Assessments: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 3, 119-124.

Thelen, M.H., McLaughlin-Mann, L.M., Pruitt, J. & Smith, M. (1987). Bulimia: Prevalence and component factors in college women. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 31, 73-78.