Anonymity, sex, and weight-preoccupation as variables on the eating disorders inventory with normal college students

The Eating Disorders Inventory was administered to 595 nonclinical male and female undergraduate college students in response to observations at the counseling center that an increasing number of students were seeking assistance for problems associated with binge eating. The purpose of the study was to identify a group with bulimic characteristics, and since secrecy is associated with bulimia, to compare students' responses when anonymous vs name-identified. Statistical analyses of the eight subscales of the inventory showed no significant differences by anonymity vs identification, but significant differences by sex and by weight-preoccupation existed.