One of the issues affecting college students today are eating disorders. Nobody is really recognizing the fact. Actually you couldn't really tell if someone is having an eating disorder, because the victim is hiding it or does not know how to deal with it. Some people assume that a victim is naturally thin, but deep down; the victim is hiding the fact that they have an eating disorder.College is one of the most stressful times for an individual, because they are going through a change of life. College means that a young adult is on their own. They have to adjust to through life by being more independent, making new friends and handling responsibility. Their parents aren't really around to help them. Students have to adjust to the workload from their classes. For some people, college is an exciting time of their lives, but for others, not so much. Young adults might not be sure if they will fit in with a group of friends, because they are not sure whether they belong to the group. They might not be able to handle the responsibility of doing their laundry, cooking, or handling their workload from school. People have also heard of the so called "Freshman 15" where they gain 15 pounds their first year of school. They feel like they have to diet to avoid the "Freshman 15". Those students get depressed and then turn to eating disorders for comfort.
There are other causes that can trigger eating disorders. Some victims were abused by their parents and sometimes criticized by their parents, because of their weight. Some victims were often overwhelmed with their parents expecting them to be perfect in school, sports, and dance. There is also low self-esteem, anger, loneliness, and sexual abuse. There are often times that the media can trigger an eating disorder, because there are often skinny models and ads to go on diets to lose weight. Eating Disorders are also hereditary and there could be a chemical inbalance in the brain, but scientists are still researching more possible causes.
There are three types of eating disorder; anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating. Anorexic victims try to be thin by eating less, because they think they are fat, but they are 85% below their normal body weight. Bulimic victims binge, or takes in a large amount of food in so little time, and purges, or vomits and their weight fluctuates. Binge eating victims eat uncontrollably and feels guilt afterwords and they are overweight and obese.
Eating disorders affect up to 24 million Americans and more commonly affect women. 11% of high school students have eating disorders. According to studies 90% of females between 12 and 25 have them and out of this 15% of them are between 17 and 24. 40% female college students have an eating disorder and 91% of female college students go on diets. If an eating disorder is not treated right away, by 10 or 20 years the victim could die.
Victims are afreid to get help, because they are afraid to speak about their disorderor they don't even know about their disorder. An eating disorder could start at a very young age and the victim that has it does not seek treatment until later. If someone you know is suffering an eating disorder, you should encourage them to seek help right away. An eating disorder could lead to medical conditions, like damage to the brain, liver, kidneys, heart, bones, teeth, skin and hair; it can lead to osteoporosis, stunt of growth, ulcers, kidney problems, heart failure and death. There is some counseling at college campuses, especially the Hamel Health Center at Merrimack College. They should also seek a therapist, nutritionist and phsician. Eating Disorder Awareness month is in February and some was that Merrimack College can contribute to that is donate money at http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-involved/ and maybe start a walk.
Eating disorders are certainly a serious issue. Pressure to be thin comes from many sources ranging from parents to media to peers. Raising awareness is a good way to reach out to those suffering from eating disorders, and help to fix them.
ReplyDeletePeople often get eating disorders, because they want to be accepted by society and friends.And often times it is becuase they're looking for a certain personal identity of what they want to be as they age. As a society we should accept everyone the way they are, we shouldn't have to put any kind of stress on an individual due to his/her appearance.
ReplyDeleteI can see where an eating disorder is more common when you get to college. It is a new place where you want to fit it and gaining the "freshmen 15" is not a thing you want to happen. From this blog it seems that males do not have this problem or at least there is a lower chance of it. I think it is a good to raise awareness because people wouldn't feel pressured to look a certain way.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree that eating disorders are a serious problem that continue to affect many people, especially female. It is unbelievable that eating disorders affect 24 million Americans, and 40% of female college students. I also find it hard to believe that 91% of female college students go on some sort of diet. I found it very interesting that eating disorders are hereditary and can be caused by so many different reasons. Such as the stresses of college and the freshman "15" and friends and parents pressures, or the media that display skinny models. We can all be happy to know that the freshman "15" is a myth according to the General Manager of Sparky's Place. At a program he stated that if students maintain a healthy diet and exercise, the freshman "15" will not exist. I found it very disturbing that parents would comment about their children's weight in such a negative way that could lead to abuse and such negative criticism. Parents should be their source of help and should do whatever it takes to get their children healthy.
ReplyDeleteWhile it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle, people should not take drastic measures like bingeing and purging. If anything, eating disorders do more harm for one's body than good. The statistics for eating disorders and dieting among young teens and women shocked me because I did not expect the numbers to be as high as they were. It is hard not to feel pressured to be as thin as possible, especially when it is emphasized by the media, peers, and family. I think starting a walk at Merrimack College is a great idea and would spread the word effectively throughout the campus about the effects of eating disorders. It would also give students an opportunity to learn more about proper dieting and exercising techniques.
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely disturbing to me that 40% of female college students suffer from an eating disorder! Like people have commented on before, everyone hears about and worries about the "freshman 15," causing a lot of girls to take drastic measures to keep weight off. There are healthy measures that can be taken however instead of risking your health to be skinny. For instance, girls can take a few minutes out of their day to go to the gym instead of starving themselves or forcing themselves to vomit. I also cannot believe that a staggering 91% of female college students go on diets! I agree that it is important to eat healthy, but I am not sure if a diet is completely necessary.
ReplyDeleteI know that women usually put more stress on appearance than males do, but it is sad that this is another issue that many females go through, but few males do. I also think it is very sad that such a large number of females, especially college students, have to go through an eating disorder. 90% of females between 12 and 25 have an eating disorder! I cannot believe that it is such a large percentage!
College can be stressful and it is a time with great changes in your life, but it should not force girls to harm their health just to appear as what they perceive as skinny. It is nice to know that there is counseling on college campuses, but the idea of starting a walk to raise more awareness is a very good idea.
This to me is very surprising that 91% of college females will go on a diet. I mean I always thought that it was a high percentage of females partaking in diets but not that close to 100%. It’s kind of mind boggling. The media has a great deal of effect towards teenage girls. The only things you see in the media, news, magazines are paper thin fake women. If that’s all girls are accustomed to then they won’t know what other life to live. Being super skinny is not all fun, those girls in the media get criticized as well, they cant eat what they want to eat because of the fear of weight gain and if they do gain weight there is a likely chance that they will get fired from their jobs, even if it’s just half a pound. The media is boosting these girls publicity up even though out in the real world no one is like that. Girls should want to embrace their curves and the body that they have, and not try to be someone they are not. Most girls whom were chunky or “fat” before and lose a lot of weight feel awkward and they want their own body back. It is very hard emotionally to go through traumatic weight loss. I can agree with the statement college is a stressful time with school, maybe a job and after school clubs and sports because sometimes I skip meals because I need to study more or I just don’t have the time to eat. But I could never go without eating because I would just feel so down and gloomy and tired all of the time. Not eating drains you as a person because your body is not absorbing the right amount of energy for your body to function, causing it to get drained. I feel as though the “freshman 15” is a myth because walking around to your classes back to your dorm up and down stairs, you are burning calories and depending on the length of your college you could be burning a lot of calories and not know it. I feel as though home life and the stress of school and missing your family triggers the eating disorders.
ReplyDeleteI remember one of my biggest fears when entering college was not if I would be able to handle my workload, or if I would get along with my roommate, or even the question of whether or not I would be able to adjust being away from home, my biggest fear about entering college was that I would come home from Christmas break looking like an elephant thanks to the infamous "Freshmen 15". I knew I would not be playing sports at Merrimack and I figured I would never have the time or ambition to go to the gym, so I was convinced that unless I ate like an ant, I was going to be another victim of the Freshmen 15.
ReplyDeleteI can not say that I have ever had an eating disorder, but I will say that my weight and body image are constantly on my mind. There's this constant outside pressure that's always telling you, you're not good enough and those with eating disorders crack to the pressure, overcoming the pressure is coming to the realization that everyone is different and being happy with who you are.
There is no doubt that eating disorders are a serious problem, that not only consume the minds of a majority of young women, but also take the lives of a great number of them as well. I could never even begin to hypothesize a solution because that outside pressure of "not being good enough" will always be present thanks to the media, and peer pressure. I only wish that the media accepted the DIFFERENT body images of young women and portryed them in a positive way rather than having size double zero women plastered in every famous magazine. It is only unfortunate that the only time an average body image is displayed in a magazine is in the "BEFORE" pictures of a weight loss advertisement.
I do agree that eating disorders are a prevalent issue among young women in modern America. However, I am a bit baffled that the number is so high as ninety percent in females between the ages of tweleve and twenty-five. Many young women struggle with body issues that are directly related to self-esteem, however what classifies these problems to the extreme of an eating disorder?
ReplyDeleteIt is normal for young people, especially young adults, to worry about their image as it is something they are still trying to define. With the right type of parenting and support system, this search can be successful or futile. I feel that eating disorders are a severe problem in young American women. However, I also feel that we must be careful not to confuse the psychological diagnosis of an eating disorder with normal young adult cognitive struggles.
I agree that this is a big problem, and I believe that the media and pressure from peers to strive for perfection and value beauty has a lot to do with this. Women (and men) need to embrace their inner beauty, I know it sounds cliche but it will become a lot more valuable in life than looking good and having a nice body. A person's natural beauty, without all the make up, tanning, hair products and diets is a beautiful thing and our society should learn to embrace it.
ReplyDeleteEating disorder is a big problem among college students and it is not a surprise. In fact it is a problem for women of every age.Not only will it do damage to ones body, it can also affect their mental state. I think the one thing that puts a lot of pressure on women is the media. They feel the need to look as thin as the models or actresses they see on TV. The way i see it is as long as you are healthy then you should be happy.
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