International Journal of Eating Disorders, April 2008, is concerned that dying to be thin comes from our friends.
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
