Atteggiamenti e comportamenti a rischio per i disturbi dell’alimentazione in un campione di adolescenti delle scuole medie superiori di Catania

The authors have carried out a survey on teen-age girls (398 girls aged 15-18) from five different senior high schools in Catania, Sicily. Students were submitted a questionnaire aimed at detecting behaviours at risk as regards food-related disorders. The most significant data concerned low body weight (20.4% having a Body Mass Index < 18.5), drug intake to lose weight (2.5%), self-induced vomit or intention to do so (12.1%), as well as a sort of uneasiness to attend other schoolmates due to one's own body weight (9.6%). These variables might reflect risk indicators as regards food-related disorders.