Eating Styles and Food Consumption Behaviors of College Students

This study analyzed the survey results of 302 college students from a coed university in Korea. The following three research components were examined: relationships among different eating styles, violation behaviors after unwanted eating, and consumption behaviors for three different food types. The analysis results showed that restrained eating was positively related to emotional eating, but negatively related to external eating. And emotional and external eating displayed a positive relationship. Body shape dissatisfaction was a significant variable in explaining restrained eating behavior. After unwanted eating, the restrained eaters expressed more regrets and stronger determination to diet than the less restrained eaters. The emotional eaters and external eaters responded that they could not stop eating and performed binge eating behaviors when they failed their diet. With regard to food attitudes and eating styles, snacks were favorably related to emotional eating. Fast food attitudes were negatively associated with restrained eating. Preference was the only significant variable in explaining snack consumption frequency; however sex, preference, and restrained eating were significant for fast foods. Finally, vegetarian foods were explained by preference and sex.