Because such eating disorders as anorexia and bulimia have been found to be more common in women than in men, much recent research on these disorders has examined their relationship to gender roles. Some evidence exists supporting the existence of two types of eating disorders; one associated with stereotypically feminine concerns, the other…

Among college women, the desire for slim, noncurvaceous bodies associated with dieting and binging is correlated with an emphasis on physical attractiveness. This desire, associated with purging and underweight, is based on the belief that thin women are perceived as more intelligent. (Author/BJV)

The hypothesis that women with eating disorders are ambivalent about being female has not been directly tested, but a great deal of evidence has been found in support of the relationship between achievement, body preferences, and disordered eating. Three hundred and one women attending the State University at New York, Stony Brook were surveyed…