Cognitive differences between bulimic and anorexic females: Self-control deficits in bulimia

The pattern of self-control deficit in bulimia, an eating disorder involving unrestrained eating and purging, was studied by comparing college females showing bulimic characteristics with control females on two types of cognitive variables found to be impaired in alcoholics. The possibility of super-normal self-control in anorexia, an eating disorder involving excessive restraint in eating, was investigated by the same procedure. Females showing bulimic characteristics displayed poorer impulse control as predicted. Internal scanning also was found to be impaired in more bulimic females. The results did not indicate superior self-control in females sharing anorexic characteristics.