Related Experiment Videos
Bulimic symptoms in adolescent girls and boys
L A Ricciardelli1, R J Williams, M J Kiernan
1School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia. lina@deakin.edu.au
Objective:
The factor structure of the Bulimic Investigatory Test (BITE) was examined in adolescent girls and boys.
Method:
Seven hundred and seventy seven adolescents (427 girls and 350 boys) completed the BITE.
Results:
Consistent with the original scale, one factor describing overall bulimic symptoms was found for the girls. However, two factors were required to summarize the boys' symptoms: "Emotional and Rigid/Disruptive Eating Style" and "Food Preoccupation and Binging."
Discussion:
The results are discussed in relation to Fairburn's (Fairburn. (1995). Overcoming Binge Eating. New York: Guilford) distinction which separates problem from nonproblem binge eating. Further studies are now needed to examine the mechanisms underlying the development of bulimic eating in boys and young men.