Eating disorders represent complex physiological and psychological difficulties, which are typically characterized by unhealthy and/or obsessive thoughts and behaviors linked to food, eating habits, and body image. Although, many college students struggle with disordered eating patterns and body image concerns, dancers and athletes are especially at risk. The two most serious eating disorders, Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia, can be health and/or life threatening. Anorexia can best be characterized by voluntary self-starvation; whereas Bulimia is a disorder in which the individual becomes entrapped in a vicious cycle of alternating food binges and purges (i.e. vomiting, laxative abuse, excessive exercise). While individuals struggling with Anorexia are usually severely underweight, those struggling with Bulimia are often normal weight, or even overweight. These disorders often become the major preoccupying theme in an individual's life, causing numerous interpersonal and medical problems, and often interfering with his/her academic and/or work performance.
Due to the opportunities that faculty and staff have to observe and interact with students in classrooms and the student lounge, you are often the first to recognize that a student may be struggling with an eating disorder. Look for a pattern of indicators, such as:
What You Can Do: