Eating Disorders In College

January 17, 2021 Sarah Gnall

As a freshman in college, this topic is particularly sensitive, because the way people eat in college ranges depending on the body type. Nevertheless, I still thought that the way people were eating was relatively healthy because I was surrounded by unhealthy habits. It was not until I began researching this topic that unhealthy eating practices were too common on college campuses. There were times my friends would need to skip a meal to cram in more study time or contemplated purging to “not be bloated” in their outfits when they went out. Despite the current state of the pandemic, eating in college remains at the unhealthy level it was prior to COVID-19.

According to the National Eating Disorders Association, fully developed eating disorders start between ages 18 and 21 years old where 10 to 20% of women and 4 to 10% of men are living with an eating disorder in college. College is the perfect storm for eating disorders to develop due to the vast amount of change occurring in such a short period of time. Speaking from experience, college loads students with a significant amount of pressure to perform perfectly, but there are little structure and additional social pressure to make friends. Students want to feel some sense of control amidst this chaos, therefore they translate this into excessive exercising, limiting food intake, and obsessing over the “ideal” body. As a result, the unnormalized begins to be normalized since a large portion of your peers is engaging in this behavior.

Other factors, including intimate relationships and fear around weight gain, also contribute to eating disorders. Remember being told about the freshman 15? As a freshman in college, I can tell you that this topic sometimes becomes the centerpiece of conversation in the dining halls as you are staring at a vast selection of food. The pressure of not wanting to gain weight, especially the freshman 15, stumps young women and men, because they believe being thin is the only way to maintain other portions of their life. For instance, being thin causes college students to believe that they will be more attractive, opening themselves up to opportunities to find a significant other. Instead of using healthy eating habits to maintain their image, they resort to purging and other techniques because they believe it is quick and effective.

One study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information at a large university also found that in a survey, 13.5% of undergraduate females and 3.6% of undergraduate males had answers associated with eating disorders. These results were not higher in one race or ethnicity, suggesting that this is a serious issue across all backgrounds. Evidently seeing this problem, how can we recognize someone who is suffering from a potential eating disorder? Here are some signs Healthline reported:

Obsessing over food or any change with their relationship with food (ex: reading the labels more frequently)
Mood dysregulation
Memory loss or inability to focus
When touching their hands and feet, they are cold
Wearing multiple layers in a room where everyone is not cold.
Hair dullness
Lips are chapped, their skin is dry and they appear dehydrated
Exhibiting low energy and showing uninterest in things they love.
Isolating themselves
There are scabs and sores on the back of their hands.
There’s peach fuzz on their cheeks, neck, and arms
Significant shifts in weight gain and/or loss
Always observing their bodies by touching their wrists, arms, or the sides of their stomachs

If you or someone you love is believed to have an eating disorder, seek out professional help. For further information, below are listed resources to learn more about this fatal disorder.

References

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