Survey of eating disorders in English-medium schools in Lahore, Pakistan

A survey of 369 schoolgirls was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) in English. Factor analyses of the EAT and BSQ supported their cross-cultural validity in these English medium schools. Girls who scored highly on either questionnaire were invited for interview. One girl met DSM-/I/-R criteria for bulimia nervosa and there were five subjects with partial syndrome bulimia nervosa. No girls suffered from anorexia nervosa. There was some evidence that the most ‘Westernized’ girls were at greatest risk of developing an eating disorder. Comparison is made with a survey con- ducted by the authors among Asian schoolgirls in Bradford, UK. The results are discussed in the light of previous claims that eating disorders should be regarded as ‘culture-bound syndromes’.