The stress of college is causing thousands of students - most of them female - to develop unhealthy eating patterns that could become eating disorders. Studies show that about one in five college students is bulimic, while about one in ten is anorexic - numbers that are dramatically higher than the general population.

"College is a time when many eating disorders can reappear or develop due to a variety of reasons. Some of them include fear of the 'freshman 15,' close living conditions where pressure to be thin is intensified, coping with more stress and living in a new environment, unlimited access to food in the dining hall, and sports, where they feel the need to be a certain weight to be successful."

Holly Grishkat, psychological director at the Renfrew Center, says that eating issues for many college students are not about weight, but about coping - with stress, loneliness or anxiety. If you or someone you know is struggling with disordered eating habits, get help right away before the behavior becomes a life-threatening illness. Source: The Cabrini College Loquitur

Labels: causes of eating disorders, colleges, stress