The relationship between gender, symptoms of bulimia, and tolerance for stress.

University students completed a questionnaire that included a measure of bulimia and a measure of tolerance for stress. Women reported significantly more symptoms of bulimia and a lower tolerance for stress than did men. Women in their first year on campus reported significantly more symptoms of bulimia than those not in their first year. For both women and men, a greater number of bulimic symptoms was associated with lower levels of stress tolerance. The present results suggest that women in their first year on campus should be targeted in intervention and prevention activities for eating disorders and that the relationship between disordered eating and stress is the same for both women and men.