by Carleigh Brower
You are away from home for the first time in your life. You have to leave your friends and family behind, deal with the pressure of fitting in at your new school, and the stress of tests and papers. Add this to the irregular schedule of sleeping and eating, the midnight calls to Dominos with your newfound friends, drinking, and the fear of gaining the infamous “freshman fifteen.” Given all of this, is it any wonder that college campuses are breeding grounds for eating disorders?
According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), about 10 percent of college students struggle with eating disorders, including anorexia and bulimia. Five to seven percent of undergraduates are diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, and college women comprise the highest rate of bulimics in all segments of society. Even more alarmingly, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any other psychiatric illness, with at least 15 percent of sufferers dying from these disorders.
In a culture infused with images of the “perfect” woman, obsession over weight is rampant. Fairfield University is certainly no exception. Many students feel that this focus on weight is a widespread problem here.
Devon Kelly, ’04, has strong feelings on the issue. “I want to be able to go to lunch and not have 10 different girls tell me, with utter disgust, how many calories are in every bite I choose to eat,” she said. “It’s unfortunate that in today’s society, young women feel as though in order to be accepted, they must go to such lengths as starving themselves.”
Kerry Fuller, ’04, agrees. “People around this campus are too obsessed with their weight. Who really cares about things like calorie intake and fat content?”
Unfortunately many people do, and are trapped by constant calorie counting, intent on seeing the numbers on the scale go down. This obsession with staying thin is often the first warning sign of an eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is marked by strict control over food consumption, intense fear of gaining weight and ritualized eating habits.
Bulimia, which is the more common of the disorders on college campuses, is the repeated cycle of binge eating followed by purging. This disorder is more difficult to spot due to the fact that many bulimics do not lose a significant amount of weight. Warning signs include weight fluctuation, using the bathroom after meals and mood swings.
“It’s a disorder that tends to be very secretive,” said Dr. Susan Birge, director of counseling services. “It’s also a disorder of denial.”
If a friend refuses to get help, Dr. Birge suggests speaking to a counselor for strategies and support.
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