College is a time of friends, academics, relationships, travel, living on your own, and so much more. Oh, did I mention food? Meal plans, food trucks, free food at events, dinner dates, brunches with friends, and so many more food related experiences that really hype up your college experience. Colleges and the food they offer are usually rated and often act as a factor when deciding what campus you would like to attend. However, a lesser known fact is that college is a really difficult time for many students when it comes to maintaining a healthy relationship with food.
College is a huge transition for students who, used to a familiar eating schedule, are then faced with late night pizza runs and all you can eat dining halls, while also having all day or night access to a gym. Students susceptible to eating disorders may find this freedom overwhelming and damaging to their self control, esteem, and health. According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), disordered eating and full-blown eating disorders usually begin between the ages of 18 to 21. NEDA also estimates that 10 to 20% of college women suffer from an eating disorder, with rates only on the rise. On the flip side, only 5% of children ages 13 to 18 are likely to experience an eating disorder. First of all, why are these numbers so high, and why does college more than double the percentage of victims of disordered eating?
Eating disorders, although they can be genetic, usually develop from an array of stressors in a victim’s life. A need for control, or sense of control, is where disordered eating stems from. College requires teenagers to act in a very mature “adulty” way almost immediately. A teenage girl who might have had plenty of support and help in her high school years may find herself, by no ones fault, drowning in new social situations, schoolwork, unfamiliar environments, and a thin body ideal when entering the university setting. Dr. Douglas Bennell, a director of a treatment center in New York says: “If you have a heavy dose of anxiety and you’re in a social environment, and you’re constantly exposed to the thin body ideal, that’s a perfect storm convergence of factors that can drive a vulnerable individual into an eating disorder.” These are, unfortunately, a variety of factors that can lead to college students developing an unhealthy relationship with food, exercise, and their body.
Being aware and educated is the first step to battling eating disorders in the college world. Disordered eating can hide itself in many different ways. College students are notorious for strange eating habits, but we need to be wary of when things turn from unusual to unhealthy. It is important to check in with yourself and the people that you trust to determine whether or not you are practicing healthy habits. Food restriction, over-exercising, an unhealthy obsession with one’s looks, body dysmorphia, abuse of laxative drugs or foods, and abnormal eating patterns throw up some red flags. The hardest part of eating disorder recovery may be the initial step of reaching out, or realizing that you yourself may be treating your beautiful body in a way it does not deserve to be treated. To look more into signs of disordered eating, please check out NEDA’s website. Every campus has so many resources for recovery, and counseling sessions are always available. Let’s eliminate shame and encourage recovery. Together we can redefine what beautiful is by prioritizing health and awareness of disordered eating on campus.