A recent survey by the Ministry of Education and the National Science Council shows that 6.7 percent of male and 4.7 percent of female students sometimes or often induce vomiting as a way of controlling their weight.
As many as 27,000 students may be using the method, which ministry officials warned was a sign that more attention should be paid to the psychological health of students.
The most recent survey included 52,315 and 26,307 respondents from first and third year university students, respectively, at private and public schools.
Based on the results, Pan Cheng-teh (
Among third-year students, 51.5 percent of female respondents and 32.3 percent of male respondents said they were dieting because they were afraid of becoming overweight.
BINGES
However, the survey also found that 63.3 percent of girls and 61.7 percent of boys sometimes or often binged on food or alcohol.
Pan noted that although students placed great importance on their appearance, they binged on alcohol and food as a way of dealing with pressure.
The combination of wanting to stay thin and wanting to drink and eat excessively caused a psychological conflict.
PURGING
When asked if binging was followed by attempts to purge food through induced vomiting -- typical of the eating disorder bulimia -- 83.6 percent of male respondents and 87.2 percent of female respondents said they did not do so, while 16.4 percent of male students and 12.8 percent of female students rarely, sometimes or often did so.
Based on these percentages, of 940,000 students nationwide, an estimated 27,000 students have considered inducing or have induced vomiting to control their weight.
Given the stereotype that girls worry more about their appearance and weight than boys, the results were surprising in that that male respondents said they induced vomiting more: 1.1 percent of boys and 0.9 percent of girls induced vomiting often, while 5.6 percent of boys and 3.8 percent of girls did so sometimes.
PRESSURE
The kind of pressure experienced by boys and girls may differ, and boys may be under more pressure than girls, he said.
Pan said that the study showed over and over again that university students were not sufficiently aware of eating disorders and healthy eating habits, and lacked outlets to deal with pressure.
He also said that popular culture and the beauty ideals it promoted probably led students to equate being thin with being attractive.
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