College is a time when the stress is high and people turn to food
It has been studied recently that the rate of eating disorders amongst college students is rising. Because of the highly stressful atmosphere, some students are unable to cope with everything that’s going on around them.
“Even though a lot of people are dieting, many of them have no need to diet. They have an idealized concept of how they should look, as a very skinny person,” says Christina Miller, a clinical psychologist and associate director at the Center for Women and Men at UCLA.
She continues: “Some studies have shown that as many as 50 to 60 percent of the college population have disordered eating patterns."
Some end up being diagnosed with an eating disorder, while others have disordered eating habits, meaning an unhealthy relationship with food.
According to a poll by the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), nearly 20% of college students have had an eating disorder. This study polled 1,000 students anonymously.
75% admitted to never having received treatment, while 55% said they know someone who suffers from an eating disorder.
Speaking out is Lynn Grefe, the executive officer at NEDA, “We need to ensure that trained advisers who understand this illness are readily available to college populations. We're finding that doctors out there don't even know how to recognize the signs.”
At Cornell University, Myra Berkowitz, a nutritionist, says, “I see a lot of students with disturbed eating patterns, some of which may have been picked up from others they’re eating with. Cornell’s work-hard, party-hard culture may promote unhealthy eating patterns and lifestyle choices.”
If you notice someone coming home from college during the holidays looking gaunt or having dramatically changed eating habits, find out what kind of help they have available for them on campus. There’s usually councillors and support groups for eating disorders.
