Bulimia nervosa in undergraduate women: Factors associated with internalization of the sociocultural standard of thinness

Diverse areas of research and theory are integrated in an attempt to better understand the specific risk factors for bulimia nervosa identified in the literature. It is suspected that the interplay of risk factors may be unique to different groups of individuals who develop bulimia. Further, it is proposed that specific determinants be studied individually to determine their particular influence in the etiology of bulimia. It is suggested that the investigation of specific risk factors for bulimia in certain groups will benefit researchers and clinicians in gaining a better conceptual understanding of the process involved in the development of the disorder. This article focuses on the determinants of a specific risk factor (i.e., internalization of the sociocultural standard of thinness) for bulimia in undergraduate women, a group identified as particularly vulnerable to this disorder. Research and theory are integrated to suggest that a combination of specific individual differences, family, and social factors make some undergraduate women more vulnerable to the influence of the sociocultural standard of thinness and bulimia. Suggestions for the inclusion of these psychosocial factors in future empirical investigations and treatment programs are also discussed.