Risk of Eating Disorders Among Female College Athletes and Nonathletes

This study compared the prevalence of eating disorder behaviors between female collegiate athletes ( n = 206) and female college nonathletes ( n = 197). Although female nonathletes had somewhat higher average scores on the Eating Attitudes Test 26, the proportion at risk for disordered eating was not different in the 2 groups. There was no significant difference among female athletes in different sports. Younger women were found to have more symptoms of disordered eating than did older women.