The role of body weight in college students' perceptions of anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa.

Objective

The present experimental study assessed college students' ability to recognize an eating disorder across various body weights.

Participants

Undergraduate students (N = 428) from a midsized public university.

Methods

Participants completed an online questionnaire and were randomized to read one of four vignettes describing a woman with anorexia nervosa symptoms who was underweight, average weight, overweight, or obese. Participants completed a survey to assess body image, eating concerns, and ability to recognize an eating disorder.

Results

Results showed participants in the underweight condition were significantly more likely to correctly identify an eating disorder (adjusted residual = 2.5) and showed fewer incorrect identifications than would be expected (adjusted residual = -2.5). In the underweight condition, 83.78% correctly recognized an eating disorder, followed by average weight (76.84%), obesity (69.16%), and overweight (68.89%).

Conclusions

College students may have a harder time recognizing an eating disorder in someone with a higher body weight.