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Errors as a Means of Reducing Impulsive Food Choice
Published on: June 5, 2016
Ethnic and gender differences in eating attitudes among black and white college students
Mara S Aruguete1, Kurt A DeBord, Alayne Yates
1Department of Psychology, Stephens College, Columbia, MO 65215, USA. aruguete@stephens.edu
Abstract:
This study examines ethnic and gender differences in eating attitudes and behaviors among college students. Participants were 225 Black and 199 White students sampled from a historically Black university. White participants were more dissatisfied with their bodies, engaged in more self-loathing, and dieted more than Blacks. Similarly, women were more dissatisfied with their bodies, engaged in more self-loathing, dieted more, and showed a greater drive for thinness than men. White women and Blacks of either gender exhibited similar predictors of drive for thinness with each group showing some combination of dieting and self-loathing. Intrapersonal anger predicted drive for thinness in White men, adding to a growing body of research suggesting a link between anger and eating disorders. Results support a substantial body of literature showing that Black and White college students differ on their views of body image and eating. Future research should explore the role of anger as a risk factor for eating disorders among White men.
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