Every day, we hear about the many issues that take place on college campuses. However, one that can sometimes be overlooked is an epidemic that is sweeping the nation—eating disorders. According to the Massachusetts Eating Disorders Association, 40% of female college students have an eating disorder. This number has only grown over the years. The statistics are scary, and the consequences are even scarier. An organization called NEDA (National Eating Disorder Awareness) has claimed February 26th-March 3rd Eating Disorder Awareness Week. This week’s purpose is to raise awareness on college campuses and elsewhere about the dangers of extreme dieting and weight problems.
College students with Anorexia Nervosa commonly take extreme measures when it comes to dieting, sometimes even resulting in starvation. They are preoccupied with calories and skip meals, which result in major weight loss. People with anorexia don’t have the nutrients they need to keep the body functioning in normally. Signs of anorexia are excessive weight loss, avoiding situations that involve food, and constant exercise.
Bulimia Nervosa is also rampant on college campuses. Someone suffering from bulimia “binges” (eats a large quantity of food in a short amount of time) and then “purges” (forced vomiting). Bulimics have a tendency to think that this act is not a big deal since they are still eating. However, the continuous purging can cause irreparable harm to the person’s teeth, throat, and stomach. A normal body weight can be maintained through bulimia, which is how it usually goes under the radar. Also, in college, it can be easy to blame the purging on something else like the food or alcohol. A sign of bulimia is frequent trips to the bathroom after meals.
The third of the most common eating disorders is Binge-Eating Disorder. In this instance, a person will have an uncontrollable addiction to eating a lot of food in one sitting. Some bulimics also have binge-eating disorder. Signs of binge-eating disorder are weight gain, constant eating, and stress-related eating.
So why are eating disorders so common in college students? There are many reasons. College is one of the first instances of complete independence. You don’t have parents constantly monitoring your life. Also, there are less people around you at all times, and more places to sneak off to. You have a whole dining plan to do whatever you want with. Also, there is the stress factor. Stress is one of the leading causes of eating disorders in young women.
If you know someone that you think might have an eating disorder, simply talk to him or her about it. Don’t accuse them, just say you are concerned and think that they are harming themselves. If they continue to ignore your concern, and you think they may be in danger, call Walden Behavioral Care at 781-647-6700 for professional counseling. You don’t want to wait until it’s too late. If you want further information regarding what you can do to help spread awareness, contact the NEDA website and help do your part to spread body-love!