The role of body weight in college students’ perceptions of anorexia nervosa and atypical anorexia nervosa

<b>Objective:</b> The present experimental study assessed college students' ability to recognize an eating disorder across various body weights. Participants: Undergraduate students (<i>N</i> = 428) from a midsized public university. <b>Methods:</b> Participants completed an online questionnaire and were randomized to read one of four vignettes describing a woman with anorexia nervosa symptoms who was underweight, average weight, overweight, or obese. Participants completed a survey to assess body image, eating concerns, and ability to recognize an eating disorder. <b>Results:</b> Results showed participants in the underweight condition were significantly more likely to correctly identify an eating disorder (adjusted residual = 2.5) and showed fewer incorrect identifications than would be expected (adjusted residual = -2.5). In the underweight condition, 83.78% correctly recognized an eating disorder, followed by average weight (76.84%), obesity (69.16%), and overweight (68.89%). <b>Conclusions:</b> College students may have a harder time recognizing an eating disorder in someone with a higher body weight.