“Are guys and girls different? A look at eating habits and body perception in college students.”

Abstract. The objective of this student was to assess if eating habits correlate with body image perception amongst genders in college students. Methods: Undergraduate and graduate students at a Southern university were emailed an online survey consisting of 72-items. The survey utilized the Eating Habits Questionnaire and the body figure satisfaction questions. Independent-samples t tests were conducted to look at how gender plays a role in body image and eating habits at an established significance of p<.05. Results: Total 2066 responses with male (n=569) and female (n=1497) individuals, age 24.7 + 8.3 yrs completed the survey. There was a significant difference between genders (p <.05, p= .000) in the construct of body image. The construct of eating habits tested between genders did not suggest a significant difference. Conclusion: For nutrition education and counseling, the information should be tailored to genders. Additional research is necessary to identify potential variables.