Natural history of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors over a 6-year period

Objective: This study investigated the course of eating attitudes and eating-disordered behaviors in a community sample of adult women.

Method: Participants (N = 166; mean age = 32.8 years) completed the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), and a questionnaire assessing bulimic behaviors at two time points, 6 years apart.

Results: Correlations for rank ordering of scores on these measures were all significant, indicating high rank stability over time. Although rates of specific bulimic behaviors decreased over time, mean scores on eating disorder attitude scales tended to increase.

Discussion: Findings challenge the commonly held belief that disturbed eating attitudes decline with age.