Subclinical anorexia nervosa

The Eating Attitudes Test (Garner & Garfinkel, 1979) was administered to 578 students (446 females and 132 males) at a College of Technology and to 14 "control" subjects fulfilling strict diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa. Although no male students scored highly, a total of 28 female students (6.3% of the female student sample) scored in the "anorexic" range. These "high scorers", together with a random control group of 28 "non-high scorers", were subsequently interviewed. Interview revealed that the symptoms of anorexia nervosa were common in the high scoring group but virtually absent in the student control group. It is concluded that a substantial proportion of post-pubertal females (approximately 5%) develop a subclinical form of anorexia nervosa. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the aetiology, prevention and treatment of disturbances in eating behaviour.