The prevalence of bulimia among college students.

A survey was conducted to determine the prevalence of bulimia and bulimic symptoms in a nonclinical sample of 907 college freshmen and seniors. Using criteria based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4 per cent of the women and 0.4 per cent of the men were classified as bulimic. Symptoms of bulimia, such as binge eating, purging behaviors, and extreme fear of gaining weight, were much more prevalent.