Eating disorders plague college students
By NELLIE WILLIAMS
News Writer
Even in a place where many students feel at home, it is still easy to find students who are struggling with an eating disorder.
"Over the last 10 years, the average number of students seen per year [at Saint Mary's] who can be diagnosed with an eating disorder is 26.8," said Kristina Pendley, assistant director of Counseling and Career Development at Saint Mary's.
Anorexia Nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorders all can result in serious consequences if not treated. Physical effects include dehydration, gastrointestinal problems, osteoporosis or heart attacks. However, many suffering students on campus do not seek help.
"There is an enormous amount of shame," said Valerie Staples who works with The Eating Disorder Recovery Center in Mishawaka. "[It] complicates coming forward."
In their program, when a person arrives, the center recommends either individual or group therapy. "I also have almost 99 percent of [those in therapy] see a dietitian," said Staples.
There is also a support group, open to anyone who is struggling with an eating disorder.
"Two-thirds of my practice is college students," Staples said. "I certainly think that's just a small portion [of those who need help]."
Many students seem unwilling to seek help. Staples noted that when she gives lectures on college campuses about eating disorders, students rarely ask questions during the lecture. Afterwards, however, they are more willing to confront her with their concerns and worries. There is a wide spectrum of lesser-known eating disorders that still may be problematic.
"People with eating disorders have issues with control," said a Saint Mary's Health Service nurse, Cindy Horton-Cavanaugh. "It is probably very threatening for them to come and get help … [it forces them to relinquish] some of the control."
According to Horton-Cavanaugh, if students at Saint Mary's come seeking help at Health Services, they would be supported by a group of physicians and medical assistants, as well as referred to the counseling center.
"There are also some really excellent programs within the community," Horton-Cavanaugh said.
Jane Navari, a professional specialist in the department of pre-professional studies at Notre Dame, believes that eating disorders are very common on campus.
"I think it's a lot more common a problem than we know about. It can go undiagnosed for a long time," said Navari.
Navari teaches an Introduction to Common Medical Illnesses to freshmen. Eating disorders is a very important issue to his students, and his classes discuss it many times during the semester.
One of the reasons students do not often take the first step in realizing the problem is because of the social environment on campus.
"Campuses almost normalize it. Students see a lot of other people obsessing about their weight and watching what they eat. We're socialized to be obsessed with weight and food," said Staples.
"There is also a feeling of low self worth when asking for help," she continued. "It is extremely difficult for [students]. It may be the first time they have not been able to handle something."
Many students often do not realize that they have an eating disorder in the beginning.
"This [college] age group [is not] really a group that seeks out medical attention unless they can't function," said Navari. "Most people who have eating disorders, at least in the beginning, can function pretty well."
Eating disorders can also stem from dietary habits. "A question to ask is does the University provide adequate health plans?" asked Navari. "There are a lot of different options and meal plans. I think they provide a wide variety for students. However, this raises an important issue: Is the person eating a nutritious diet, are they taking care of themselves? Or are they staying out until 3 in the morning and only getting three or four hours of sleep? People should start thinking about taking care of [themselves]."
Navari feels Eating Disorder Awareness Week is very helpful. "People can read about it and say, `I might have this'. [Plus], students realize it's not a rare disease … it gives avenues for students to seek help."
However, students may feel more secure in a counseling center off-campus. "I think [the Mishawaka center] provides a safe environment for [students] to look at what they're doing," said Staples. "I believe it's really important for them to be able to recognize [their problem] as an eating disorder. Recovery can happen and people can learn to live a life not [controlled] by this."
The Eating Disorder Recovery Center also has had very positive feedback from students and clients. "Having the opportunity to talk to other people is sometimes very healing," said Staples.
The center works very closely with the college counseling center. "It's a great liaison and referral center," said Staples.
"There's an estimate that 5 to 10 percent of students on college campuses have some sort of eating disorder, from mild to severe," says Navari. "That's a lot. I think we know that the reason college students are at risk. They're very stressed; they have a new lifestyle; they may be depressed, and not doing as well as they would like in classes."
"This age group has a lot of image situations," continued Navari. "Body image is very important to them."
All News Stories for Thursday, February 17, 2000
