A friend's revelation personalizes college women's risk of eating disorders

By Nicole Sleight

May 5, 2005 | As a 20-year-old college student at Utah State University I have had my ups and downs with my body image, and I know that I am not alone.

Women are constantly bombarded with images of stick thin, seemingly perfect models. These images are all over the covers of magazines, on television shows and in movies. How can any woman feel comfortably about her body when the standard of beauty is set by thinness? I often question myself as to why I am not as thin as the women on magazine covers. Why am I not "perfect" like her? These images of thin women have cultivated our society to believe that in order to be considered beautiful or pretty, you must be incredibly thin.

Unfortunately these images often lead women to have body image issues which can eventually turn into an eating disorder.

Eating disorders among college women are not uncommon. College women ages eighteen to twenty-two have a higher chance of suffering from an eating disorder. Up to ten percent of college aged women suffer from clinical or nearly clinical eating disorders. College is a very stressful time in a woman's life. We worry about homework, quizzes, papers, projects and tests. Not only do we worry about school, we also worry about our social life and appearance.

Women who suffer from eating disorders all have different reasons for doing so. Some are stressed from the everyday college life, some are upset about their weight and trying to lose it quickly, and for some an eating disorder results from traumatic experiences from the past. Whatever the reasoning, college students suffering from eating disorders need to seek help immediately.

One of my closest friends in college suffers from bulimia. When she first told me I was shocked. I had not noticed any of the signs and symptoms. I was too naive to believe this actually happened. She knew she needed to find help, so I assisted her in any way I possibly could.

She first visited the Student Wellness Center. After being tested to make sure she had no physical ailments from the eating disorder, she was told to see a counselor. The counseling center offers several services to students suffering from eating disorders.

According to Gwenaelle Couillard, a licensed marriage and family therapist at the USU counseling center, "Eating disorders in college students are more frequent than in the general population. I think this is due to high stress, being surrounded by other women, and often because dating becomes more serious and intense in college."

Eating disorders can be triggered by many different things, but once people realize what those triggers are they can begin to work on overcoming them. It is important to know what to say to a friend if you realize she is suffering from an eating disorder.

My friend is now coping with her disorder. She has weekly visits with a dietician at the wellness center. The dietician helps her try to maintain a healthy eating style, rather than dieting. Recovery is always a possibility for women suffering from disorders.

There are different types of eating disorders women can suffer from. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and being-eating disorder are all types of eating disorders. These disorders can be severely dangerous to a womans health. Many medical complications have been linked with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Some physical repercussions from these disorders are a sore throat, swelling of the cheeks, tooth decay, loss of enamel and gum disease. Some more serious cases have included heart complications, kidney damage, stomach ruptures, and menstrual irregularities and difficulties.

Along with physical problems followed by an eating disorder, there are also psychological problems. Women who are suffering often are depressed and have a low self esteem. These women might feel shame and guilt for their actions, suffer from mood swings, and often feel the need to be a perfectionist.

The price college women are paying to be considered beautiful in society is getting out of hand. Women suffering from eating disorders are putting their life in danger by risking their physical health.

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