The survey of 4,023 women by Self Magazine and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill also found 10 percent of women reported symptoms consistent with eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder.

"More than 31 percent of women in the survey reported that in an attempt to lose weight they had induced vomiting or had taken laxatives, diuretics or diet pills at some point in their life," Cynthia R. Bulik of the UNC School of Medicine said in a statement. "Among these women, more than 50 percent engaged in purging activities at least a few times a week."

The survey also found:

-- 67 percent of women are trying to lose weight.

-- 53 percent of dieters are already at a healthy weight and are still trying to lose weight.

-- 39 percent of women say concerns about what they eat or weigh interfere with their happiness.

-- 37 percent regularly skip meals to try to lose weight.

-- 26 percent cut out entire food groups.

-- 13 percent smoke to lose weight.