By Marjorie Hernandez
Daily Bruin Reporter Many students dread gaining the
“Freshman 15” – where students gain 15 pounds
their first year in college – but that myth still resonates
throughout the confines of residence halls. But a preoccupation
with food, weight and body image may be more serious than most
students think. About 10 percent of college students nationwide
suffer from severe eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa,
bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder. More students, however,
fall into a category called disordered eating. According to Julie
Pearce, a clinical psychologist at Student Psychological Services,
people with disordered eating aren’t severely underweight but
spend their time preoccupied with food and dieting. “They may
not have the full-blown eating disorder, but this behavior
significantly interferes with their life,” she said. Though
the onset of an eating disorder or disordered eating may stem from
early childhood or puberty, the stress of a new environment such as
college may trigger feelings of body dissatisfaction. “A lot
of the students are leaving their families for the first
time,” Pearce said. “They’re on their own and
don’t really know how to function ... The emphasis on
appearance, academic and dating competition stresses them
out.” Depression, low self-esteem, family issues or economic
problems may lead to the disorders, as individuals try to regain
control by changing their eating behaviors. Signs of unhealthy
preoccupation with dieting, body image or weight gain may start as
early as elementary school. By age nine, 50 percent of girls in the
United States have dieted, with numbers reaching 89 percent by the
time they’re 17, said Patricia Santucci, a clinical assistant
professor at Loyola Medical Center, in a study titled, “Facts
About Eating Disorders.” Statistics show that 15 percent of
women suffer from disordered eating, but more men are also becoming
concerned with their body image. A recent study from the American
Journal of Psychiatry estimates that 2 percent of men and 5 percent
of women have an eating disorder. According to Pearce, images in
the media focus on unrealistic body types, which affect men as
well. “Not only are men supposed to be thin, but they are
supposed to be strong, buff and fit,” Pearce said. “Men
are feeling a lot more pressure, as women have felt for a long
time, to have the perfect body.” While disordered eating is
more prevalent on college campuses, full-blown eating disorders
like anorexia, bulimia or binge eating that affect fewer students
can lead to serious health problems. According to the Diagnostic
and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, anorexics have an
intense fear of becoming “fat” but often weigh less
than 85 percent of the normal weight for their age and height.
Untreated, anorexia may cause osteoporosis, abnormalities in the
menstrual cycle, dehydration, abnormal heartbeat and possible
death. Bulimia is characterized by binge eating episodes, followed
by purging. Common effects include weakness, dehydration, abnormal
heart beat, headaches, muscle spasms and discoloration and damage
of teeth. Binge eating is also characterized by consumption of
large amounts of food, but unlike bulimia it is not followed by
excessive exercise, fasting or purging. Binge eating may lead to
obesity and medical problems, such as high blood pressure,
diabetes, stroke and high cholesterol. Students who think they may
be suffering from eating disorders or disordered eating can seek
help from professionals who provide an individualized plan of
treatment. “I encourage (students) not to deal with this all
by themselves,” Pearce said. “They should know that
they have a lot of options. They don’t have to keep living
with that kind of pain.” UCLA nutritionist Sheri Albert warns
against drawing attention to negative behaviors attributed to
severe disorders and encourages students to focus on problems with
dieting and disordered eating. “I would guess a lot of
students have felt bad about their bodies, have dieted to loose
weight, and have said, ‘I feel so fat.’ That’s
the kind of behavior that we are targeting in our efforts,”
Albert said. She encourages students to eat a balanced, high-fiber
diet in moderate portions and to exercise. Exercising doesn’t
mean spending hours at the gym, but students may participate in
activities they enjoy, such as dancing, sports or bike riding.
“Our goal is to spread the word that fit Bruins come in all
shapes and sizes,” Albert said. “Our focus is for
students to eat well, be active and feel good about their bodies
because that’s the bottom line in achieving a healthy
living.”
Eating Disorders Awareness & Prevention's Referral Hotline: 1800-931-2237, www.something-fishy.org
Warning Signs of Restrictive Dieting Studies show certain attitudes toward food result in emotional and social effects that may contribute to disordered eating or eating disorders Original graphic by VICTOR CHEN/Daily Bruin Web adaptation by MIKE OUYANG/Daily Bruin Senior Staff