The National Eating Disorders Association has released their findings in a poll on College Campuses Across the Nation
The results:
Occurrence of eating disorders on campus
· More than half of those polled (55.3%) said they know at least one person who has struggled with an eating disorder and have at least taken the initiative to speak to them about it (57.6%).
· Only 37.8% felt their lives were not personally impacted by an eating disorder.
· Of the 19.6% who admit to having personally had an eating disorder at some time, nearly 75% of those had never received or sought treatment.
· Students who have dieted and avoided or skipped meals (80.9% and 74.7%, respectively).
· Students who know someone who compulsively exercises more than two hours at a time, more days of the week than not (44.4%), purges by vomiting (38.8%); uses laxatives to lose weight (26%).
General awareness of eating disorders
· Of the respondents, 25.2% were familiar with anorexia; 22.9% with bulimia; 15.4% with binge eating disorder; 7.9% with compulsive exercise bulimia and 62.4% with all of the above. Only 10.9% selected "none of the above."
· A majority of respondents believe eating disorders will lead to major lifelong health problems and serious or fatal health issues (83% and 82.5%, respectively).
Among the common pressures believed by respondents to cause the onset of eating disorders
· Cultural pressures to be thin (57.3%)
· Stress from family and life in general (40.3% and 46.2%, respectively)
· Personal choice (39%)
· Mental illness (35.4%)
· History of trauma (17.9%)
· Genetics (17.6%)
