The incidence of bulimia in freshman college students

This paper reports the results of a questionnaire survey administered to 1355 college freshman (98.3% response rate) and to a comparison group of 37 female bulimic patients. Questions were contructed to elicit information which would allow identification of those respondents who would meet DSM-III requirements for diagnosis of bulimia. 2.1% of the student population (4.5% of females, 0.4% of males) met these modified criteria and the additional criterion of weekly binge-eating. The identified “bulimic” female students differed from female bulimic patients in their use of fasting instead of self-induced vomiting for weight control, and in their tendency to be overweight. “Bulimic” female students are also compared with nonbulimic students.