Assessing the risk of pathological weight management behaviors: A study of college students

The college population is a high-risk group for engaging in pathological weight management behaviors (PWMB). Literature suggests that college women are more likely to diet, vomit, use laxatives, or diet pills as a way to manage their weight whereas men use excessive exercising for the same purpose. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that predict college students' likelihood of engaging in PWMB. To this end 943 students were surveyed in a four-year research university in Upstate New York to assess eating, exercise, and weight management habits. There were more males (54.9%) than females (45.1). A majority of the participants were Caucasian and in the 20 to 21 year age group (67.5%). Participants had an average BMI of 24.58 for males and 23.90 for females. Students older than 21 and Caucasian and African American students were more likely to be in the obese or overweight BMI categories. Although BMI was not a good predictor of PWBM, the preoccupation with desire to be thin was. Those who were preoccupied with the desire to be thin were significantly more likely to engage in PWMB. The odds ratios ranged from a low of 1.7 for having used laxatives, to a high of 4.0 for having binged. Among females, the odds ratios were even higher for most PWMB. This presentation will include detailed analyses of PWMB and their relationship to BMI, the desire to be thin, gender, ethnicity, and other factors, and a discussion of proposed interventions base on the findings.