February 22 marks the beginning of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Eating disorders are defined as “having extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues and can come in many forms including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder” (nedawareness.org). Unfortunately, in the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from an eating disorder at some time in their life (nedawareness.org).
In our society there is a lot of pressure to look perfect and have that perfect, skinny body. Especially on college campuses, women feel pressured to look skinny. In fact, 91 percent of women surveyed on a college campus attempted to control their weight through dieting and 22 percent said they “always” dieted (anad.ord). This statistic is astounding and upsetting. As members of a small college campus where the pressure to look perfect exists, it is our duty to participate in National Eating Disorders Awareness Week to raise awareness and break down stigmas about eating disorders. While Bucknell contains a very supportive community of women, the likelihood that someone in our community suffers from an eating disorder is very high. Approximately 25 percent of college-aged women engage in bingeing and purging as a way to manage their weight (anad.org). It is important for us all to take a moment and observe NEDAwareness Week to learn how to help members of our community suffering from an eating disorder get help and lower these statistics.
According to NEDAwarness’s website, the goal of this week is “to put the spotlight on the seriousness of eating disorders and to improve public understanding of their causes, triggers and treatments” (nedawareness.org). Bringing light to eating disorders by increasing awareness and access to resources and encouraging early detection and intervention can improve the likelihood of full recovery for those suffering.
Proof of this came from 2014 NEDAwareness week which led to a 233 percent increase in website visitors to NEDAwareness.org during NEDAwareness week. Also, from 2013 to 2014, there was a 67 percent increase in helpline traffic, a 157 percent increase in click-to-chat, a 143 percent increase in online eating disorder screenings and an 87 percent increase in NEDA navigator requests (nedawareness.org).
It is important to remember how serious an eating disorder can be. They are potentially life-threating illnesses, which makes it such a pressing issue. However, there is hope, and one can fully recover from an eating disorder with the appropriate resources and help. The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) is a great source with lots of information and resources available on their website (www.NationalEatingDisorders.org) and helpline (800-931-2237).
Want to learn more? Check out:
· http://nedawareness.org/about-impact
· http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/