An Evaluation of the Eating Behaviors of Honors College Undergraduate Students at the University of Mississippi

Eating disorders are defined as an illness that changes one’s relationship with food, that ultimately affects one’s emotions, thoughts, and physical well-being. Three types of eating disorders most commonly diagnosed are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and disordered eating. It is important to note that disordered eating is a term used to describe abnormal eating behaviors and feelings related to food that may or may not fall into a certain diagnostic category (Anderson, 2018). Many college students today are diagnosed with an eating disorder or disordered eating as a result of the increasing anxiety and pressures experienced at this age.The purpose of this study was to determine if undergraduate students at the University of Mississippi have an unhealthy relationship with food and body image. Eating disorders and disordered eating has yet to be addressed at the programmatic level at the University of Mississippi. The research in this study will add to our knowledge of disordered eating on college campuses, specifically the University of Mississippi. This study examined knowledge of on-campus resources for students with disordered eating. Students’ attitudes towards eating behaviors and their awareness of eating disorders were evaluated through a Qualtrics survey (Appendix B) and a questionnaire (Appendix A) completed by faculty. Data analytics tests examined the distribution of responses across age, gender, and the effect of weight on respondents who knew someone with an eating disorder. Results indicated, that there was no significance between age, however there was significant difference in responses based on gender and the effect of weight on respondents who knew someone with an eating disorder. This demonstrates that weight affects self-image differently based on gender, and if a person knows someone with an eating disorder.