Self-reported vegetarianism may be a marker for college women at risk for disordered eating

The purpose of this study was to determine whether differences exist in eating attitudes and behaviors of vegetarian and nonvegetarian college women. The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) and a questionnaire were used to gather information on eating attitudes and behaviors of 143 female college students. Thirty participants were self-reported vegetarians, and 113 participants were nonvegetarians. There was no significant difference between the vegetarians and nonvegetarians in height, weight, age, or body mass index. The median EAT score of the vegetarians (16.5) was significantly higher (P<.0001) than that of the nonvegetarians (9.0). A significantly higher (P<.0001) proportion of the vegetarians (37%) compared with nonvegetarians (8%) had EAT scores greater than 30 (indicating eating disorder risk). There was no difference in supplement use or meal skipping between the two groups. In conclusion, self-reported vegetarian college women may be more likely to display disordered eating attitudes and behaviors than nonvegetarians.