A Comparison of Disturbed Eating Behaviors in Young Adults: Implications for Nutrition Education and Counseling Interventions

This study explored eating behaviors of young adults enrolled at 3 large, diverse universities. Participants (n=2,391; 62% female) aged 18–25y (mean 19.65+1.46SD) with no history of eating disorders or chronic diet‐related health conditions completed an online survey assessing restrained eating, binge eating, and eating‐, weight‐ and shape‐concerns using the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire; disinhibited and emotional eating using the 3‐Factor Eating Questionnaire; and night eating. Compared to males, females had significantly (p<0.05) higher eating‐, weight‐, and shape‐concerns, restrained eating and emotional eating scores. Males had higher night eating scores. No gender differences occurred for disinhibited or binge eating. MANOVA revealed that as female BMI increased (under‐ [n=117], normal‐ [n=1061], over‐ [n=303] weight), scores tended to differ significantly on all scales except disinhibited eating. As male BMI rose (under‐ [n=25], normal [n=551], over‐ [n=334] weight), scores tended to differ significantly on weight‐ and shape‐concerns and restrained eating scales. Nutrition education and counseling interventions should take these gender‐related differences into account. Grant Funding Source : Kappa Omicron Nu