Eating Disorders Contagious?

Posted by Barbara Pytel May 9, 2008

After analyzing 15,349 students, a study concludes that there is a similar pattern with friends and eating disorders. If there is one eating disorder, there are more within the peer group or a school. Therefore, the study concludes that instead of working with individual students, education should be throughout a school.

Eating disorders characteristics may include

• severe food intake restriction
• dieting
• excessive exercising
• diet pill use

Purging does not seem to fit the peer influence model. That does not seem to be contagious.

More information on Eating Disorders: Eating Disorders 101, Bulemia