Though quick-fix diet plans have been proved to be unhealthy, they unfortunately remain popular among those who hope to shed a considerable amount of weight in a short period of time. With Spring Break on the horizon, a March 4 article by Kirsten Kwon of The University Daily Kansan warns students about the dangers of crash dieting:

A crash diet is a very restrictive weight loss plan that involves significantly cutting back on calorie and fat intake. In most cases, people who participate in crash dieting do so for two to five weeks in hopes of losing a drastic amount of weight in a short period of time. Some reports show people have lost 12 to 20 pounds upon the completion of a crash diet.

With spring break only a week away and the warm season approaching, some students are thinking of ways to lose weight fast and might turn to crash diets.

Ann Chapman, coordinator of nutrition services at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said this is a time of year when some students can become fixated on body image. ...

Although a crash diet can be seen as simply a quick fix, these types of eating habits can lead to more serious issues. The lack of nutrients alone deprives the body in the same ways starvation would.

Labels: crash diet, college_students

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In an article on the website of The Daily Pennsylvanian (the student newspaper of the University of Pennsylvania), writer Sarah Ryu addressed the problem of eating disorders among college students:

Whether the problem lies with the students themselves or their peers around them, eating concerns surround Penn students everyday, and they range from simple dietary regulations to clinical disorders.

“There’s a whole continuum from eating concerns and worries, which are milder, all the way to clinical levels of anorexia and bulimia,” Denise Lensky, the associate director of Counseling and Psychological Services, said.She added that eating disorders affect a “pretty sizeable portion of the population.”

For some, these concerns can be a continuation of attitudes or habits that existed prior to college, Lensky explained. For others, college can be the first encounter with such issues. ...

“College is challenging because for many, it’s the first time that they are completely on their own with regards to their eating,” Lensky said, explaining that the responsibility of doing their food shopping and providing their own meals can be a challenge for some students.

Labels: college_students

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For students who are struggling with behaviors disorder, eating disorders, substance abuse problems, depression and related challenges, leaving home and heading to college can be a particularly daunting experience.

Over the past ten years, demand for student counseling services has increased dramatically at college campuses across the United States. A 2007 survey at Penn State found that 10 percent of its students were currently, or at one time had been, on some type of psychiatric medication.

"In response to demand, mental health professionals say theyve expanded their services and do extensive outreach on campus to reach more students," Pennsylvania newspaper The Evening Sun reported. "They also train faculty, staff and resident assistants to be on the lookout for students in crisis."

Campus mental health counselors are also beginning to specialize in topics such as depression and eating disorders. Counselors are available to talk not only to kids who need help, but also to those who are concerned that a student they know may be in trouble.

Labels: college_students, support, counseling

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Tom and Doris Smeltzer lost their 19-year-old daughter, Andrea, ten years ago after a yearlong battle with bulimia nervosa. The couple now travels the country speaking to students about the dangers of bulimia and other eating disorders.

On Nov. 3, the Smeltzers spoke at Cabrini College in Philadelphia. A Nov. 5 article by Michelle Costa of The Loquitur (the college's newspaper) provided the following information about the event and the effort to identify and assist college students who are struggling with eating disorders:

"Their mission is to promote awareness and understanding of eating disorders and related issues," Lisa Stockton, vice president of the Body Image Coalition said.

Doris Smeltzer authored a book called "Andrea's Voice...Silenced by Bulimia." The book includes Andrea's poetry, letters and journal entries.

"I think it is important for students to attend this presentation, because they need to be aware of the prevalence of eating disorders among college students," Stockton said.

Statistics show that there is a large growth of these developing diseases and if education is not provided, young people will continue to fall into the trap of these harmful cycles.

Stockton said college campuses are a breeding ground for disordered eating habits.

Labels: college_students, eating disorders, death

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College is a time of independence. It is also a time of change, stress and uncertainty -- factors which are all capable of triggering eating disorders among young adults.

According to a 24-7 press release, eating disorders triggered by college stresses have increased in recent years. The pressures that can lead to disordered eating include academic worries, athletic performance, binge drinking and fears of the freshman 15 weight gain.

Labels: college_students, stress

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George Washington University has started a new counseling program aimed at increasing awareness and treatment for eating disorders among college students.

Two key components of the push, which encourages students with eating disorders or body issues to seek help, are an improved treatment plan and increased outreach to at-risk groups, including women in sororities and athletes, said Dr. John Dages, the director of the UCC. (Source: The CW Hatchet)

Of the counseling center's 4,300 appointments from last year, about 10 percent were for eating disorder concerns -- though Dr. Dages believes the actual prevalence of eating disorder problems on campus is much higher. The program has implemented a new feature which enables students to set a counseling appointment within 24 hours of calling.

Labels: college_students, counseling

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The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), has reported that about 11 million Americans suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder.

According to an April 30 article by Leslie Presnall, a staff writer with The Daily Reveille (the student newspaper of Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge), nearly one in five college-aged students reports having suffered from an eating disorder:

Julie Hupperich, Student Health Center associate director, said eating disorders can begin at any age, but there are certain risk factors for college students. "There are additional pressures on them," she said. "It's just being under high stress, and an eating disorder is a coping mechanism."

Hupperich said stress will trigger a disorder, or symptoms will escalate during times of stress. She said certain students in subcategories on campus are at higher risk. "It's been shown that particular majors are at risk, like dance majors and female athletes," she said. "And Greek organizations seem to be at greater risks."

A number of experts have argued that the prevalence of media images of unhealthy body shapes has contributed to the development of eating disorders among college students.

Labels: college_students, eating disorders

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The Center for the Study of Collegiate Mental Health at Pennsylvania State University recently conducted a national survey of college campuses, which found that body image concerns weigh heavily on the minds of college students.

[Body image concerns] are often linked to depression, anxiety, hostility, social anxiety and family issues ...

Away from their families for the first time ... college students often feel [isolation that] may prompt the dangerous dieting that many times leads to an eating disorder. (Source: The University of Oregon Daily Emerald)

The line between dieting and an eating disorder can be a fine one, and concern over weight or eating habits are not necessarily "red flags." However, adolescents, teens, and young adults who worry about fitting in with a particular group, or who obsess over a certain body type, may be at greater risk for developing an eating disorder.

Though often thought of as a condition that affects only girls, eating disorders among young people can have devastating effects on boys, girls, young men, and young women.

Labels: college_students, body image, eating disorders, causes of eating disorders

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College cheerleaders are prone to eating disorders, and how severe their disordered eating becomes partly depends on how revealing their cheerleading costumes are, according to research from the University of South Carolina.

Prof. Toni Torres-McGehee and her colleagues found that 33% of the 136 college cheerleaders in their study had eating disorders, compared to less than 5% of all female college students. However, if their cheerleading team had a costume that reveals the midriff, they were most likely to have an eating disorder.

"Teams and coaches should consider the long-term effect of requiring cheerleaders to wear revealing uniforms simply for aesthetic reasons," Dr. Torres-McGehee said in a report presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine.
 

Labels: college_students, body image, influences

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Across the United States, college students are returning to campus and preparing for the upcoming year. Freshman will get out their campus maps, and make their way to classrooms, dorm rooms and lunch rooms.

Some will worry about grades. Some will worry about appearance. And some will succumb to the stresses and pressures of their new environment, and will begin engaging in disordered eating.

For the college student who is away from home for the first time, the stress of moving into a totally different environment and meeting new people can make them more susceptible to developing an eating disorder, says University of Alabama at Birmingham Associate Professor of Psychology Mary Boggiano, Ph.D., who fought her own battle against bulimia as a college student. [Source: Huntsville Examiner]

Students worried about gaining the mythical “Freshman 15” may resort to extreme behaviors to maintain or lose weight. The risk of developing an eating disorder isn’t limited to freshman, however. A student of any age or rank can struggle with body image, weight and disordered behaviors.
 

Labels: college_students, causes of eating disorders, stress

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Jena Morrow struggled with a negative body image from a very young age. By age 11, she had been diagnosed with anorexia and underwent treatment. Two years later, she was at a healthy weight, and seemed to have recovered. However, like many students who struggle with eating disoders, Morrow relapsed when she went away to college.

“When college came around she saw it as the perfect opportunity to relapse into her old habits. ‘Out from under the watchful eye of teacher[s] and parents, I sort of figured that if I leave college with a degree that would be a perk but my real goal was to get thin,’ [Jena] said.” [Source: The Daily Campus (Southern Methodist University)]

During her first two months on campus, Jena lost 40 pounds, sparking concern from her roommate, friends and even her professors. She didn’t fully recover until she entered a 12-month residential treatment program. 

Earlier this year, Jena released a book, Hollow: An Unpolished Tale, about her struggle with anorexia. She hopes it will encourage others to continue seeking treatment – like she did – until they find something that works.
 

Labels: anorexia, college_students, awareness

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