Background: Body dissatisfaction (BD) is considered as a predisposing, triggering, perpetuating and/or prognosis factor of eating disorders (ED). Objective: To compare the presence of BD and psychopathological and/or behavioural features between female subjects with and without ED. Method: Comparatively the EatingAttitudes Test (EAT-40), the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and the Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ) were administered to 52 ED female patients and to 51 female students without ED. Results: Patients reached significantly higher rates than female students without ED on BSQ, EAT-40, EDI and subscales (p = < 0.001), except perfectionism (p = 0.015). BD assessed by EDI (17 versus 4; p < 0.001) y el BSQ (152 versus 58.5; p < 0.001) scored significantly higher in patients, mainly in anorexics on EAT-40, BSQ, BD, ineffectiveness and perfectionism (p < 0.001); bulimics on global EDI, drive for thinness, interoceptive awareness, bulimia, maturity fears and interpersonal distrust (p < 0,001). The OR of BD (EDI) was 1.17 versus BSQ (OR = 1.05) (p < 0.001). The EAT global score was directly and significantly correlated to BSQ (r = 0.672; p < 0.001) in patients and to BD (EDI) (r = 0.639; p < 0.001) in female students without ED. Conclusions: BD is prevalent in an extreme degree within all the subtypes of ED. Anorexics exhibited a higher BD as well as ineffectiveness and perfectionism. A higher BD is positively related to a higher ED symptomatology. The risk of developing an ED in a young woman that exhibits some degree of BD is very high.