February 25th

By Sarah Triplett

UIS Counseling Center Graduate Assistant

As we push through the twenty-first century it has become common knowledge of the pressure that society puts on young women and men to attain the unrealistic, ideal body, which is influenced through magazines, television, and movies.  This constant scrutiny, more so on women than men, regarding image has led many to become obsessed with achieving a smaller stature at any means.  Often times, these means to control one’s body shape lead to extreme dieting, which can result in the occurrence of an eating disorder.  Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior, such as an excessive and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concern about body shape or weight.  According to US estimates from The National Institute of Mental Health, between 5 per cent and 10 per cent of girls and women (i.e. 5-10 million people) and 1 million boys and men suffer from eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating disorder, or other associated dietary conditions.  Of this sizeable number an estimated 10 per cent of female college students suffer from a clinical or sub-clinical (borderline) eating disorder, of which over half suffer from bulimia nervosa.   The statistics are shocking, but true and that is why the National Eating Disorders Association sponsors an awareness week every year in hopes to spread information, share stories, and reach out to individuals who suffer from these devastating diseases.  This year the National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is February 23-27.

The most commonly known eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.  Anorexia nervosa displays symptoms of disturbed eating habits, such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods that they will only eat in small quantities, or portioning food. People with anorexia may repeatedly check their body weight, and many use other techniques to control their weight, such as rigorous and compulsive exercise, or purging by means of vomiting and/or abuse of laxatives, enemas, and diuretics.  Bulimia nervosa is categorized by individuals who engage in recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and feeling lack of control over eating during the episode.  Bulimics maintain inappropriate compensatory behavior for their binge in order to prevent weight gain, they use such means as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications, fasting, or excessive exercise.  Binge-eating disorder symptoms include recurrent episodes of binge eating, characterized by eating an excessive amount of food within a discrete period of time and by a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode. 

Not only are eating disorders a very serious disease they are also extremely dangerous and can cause severe and permanent physical damage, even death.  The following are just a few of the serious repercussions of eating disorders: malnutrition, dehydration, paralysis, tearing of the esophagus, reflux, heart attacks, and kidney failure.  The emotional trauma endured is also extremely painful for the sufferer, and often hospitalization is required.  Even without in-patient treatment, counseling and group work can be very effective in treating eating disorders.  The truth is though; that if eating disorders go untreated and unrecognized the outcome could be devastating.  That it is why it is very important to be aware of the signs and symptoms of an eating disorder.  Some signs are as follows: dramatic weight loss in a relatively short period of time, wearing big or baggy clothes or dressing in layers to hide body shape and/or weight loss, obsession with weight and complaining of weight problems (even if "average" weight or thin), obsession with calories and fat content of foods, obsession with continuous exercise, frequent trips to the bathroom immediately following meals (sometimes accompanied with water running in the bathroom for a long period of time to hide the sound of vomiting), visible food restriction and self-starvation.   If you would like to learn more about the signs and symptoms of eating disorders please visit www.something-fishy.org.

Eating disorders are a very serious problem and that is why the National Association of Eating Disorders puts so much passion into helping individuals with these diseases.  If you would like to learn more about eating disorders or the National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, please visit www.neda.com for more information and links to other sources.  If you feel that you may have a problem or someone you know may be suffering from an eating disorder and would like help please contact the UIS Counseling Center SAB 30 at 206-7122.