Background and aims: Numerous studies have demonstrated that the prevalence of eating disorders in recent years, especially in young girls, had increased and this can be considered as heterogeneous - multi factorial syndrome. The current study was aimed to investigate the relationship between dissociative experiences and alexithymia with eating attitudes in female students.

Methods: This is a correlational descriptive design and the statistical population included the girl students of Shahid Chamran University in educational year of 91-92, which 325 female undergraduate students were selected via multi-phase random clustering and completed the following rating scales; Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), Alexithymia Questionnaire (TAS-20), and Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-28). Data were analyzed was performed using the Pierson correlation and stepwise multiple regression analysis.

Results: Correlation between alexithymia and eating attitudes was significant (r=37.8, P=0.01), and there was a significant positive correlation between dissociative experiences and eating attitudes (r=37.8, P=0.01).

Conclusion: The results highlight a significant association between eating disorders symptoms, dissociative experiences and alexithymia, but the dissociative experiences are stronger predictor for eating disorders symptoms.