Know the signs and what you can do to help a friend with an eating problem.

BY MIMI MCCOY, JUNIOR, UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS

Outwardly, Brittany Rouille’s freshman year of college at the University of Florida in Gainesville was a success story: She watched what she ate, worked out, and avoided the infamous freshman-year weight gain. Inwardly, she was struggling.

“Food became the only thing that I could control,” Rouille says, explaining that much of her anxiety was actually rooted in the stresses of transitioning to college.

By sophomore year, Rouille had lost a significant amount of weight, and her friends expressed concerns about her health. But she refused to believe that her behaviors were harmful. “I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t want to know,” Rouille says. “The fact that my friends knew it made me want to deny it even more.”

Eager to prove that she was healthy, Rouille agreed to have her weight checked by a doctor. It was then that she received jolting news: She was clinically too weak to continue with school.

“As scary as it was, it probably saved my life,” Rouille says of her subsequent diagnosis with anorexia.

Defining the Issues
According to the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), as many as 11 million people in the United States suffer from anorexia or bulimia. The Spring 2010 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment found that out of 95,712 students polled, 0.8% reported having anorexia and 1.0% reported having bulimia.

What’s more, innumerable people struggle with “Eating Disorders not Otherwise Specified," which have elements of anorexia and/or bulimia, but may not match the full clinical criteria for these disorders.

Ann Chapman, a registered dietitian at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, says that categorizing the issue is not initially as essential as getting proper treatment.

“The most important thing is seeing if you have a healthy relationship with food,” Chapman says.

Secret Struggles
Terra Pizzo, a student at Missouri State University in Springfield, says she felt ashamed of the methods she used to lose weight, which included going whole days without food. “A lot of lying came along with hiding the fact that I wasn’t eating,” Pizzo says.

Chapman says that attempts to hide disordered eating are common, but there are still red flags to be aware of.

“In a restaurant situation, a person who’s cutting up food and moving it around but not really eating it may be an indication of an eating disorder,” Chapman says.

By addressing symptoms of disordered eating, people can prevent the development of eating disorders, says Laura Collins, the executive director of F.E.A.S.T., an organization that helps the families of people with eating disorders.

Getting Help
Because media often promote an image of extreme thinness, some women are unable to separate what’s supposedly “beautiful” from what is, in fact, unhealthy. “Social influence is huge,” says Ziona Brotleit, a counselor at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. “In our society, there is a narrow list of body types that are idealized in the media.”

It wasn’t until she began to see a therapist to address self-destructive habits that Pizzo realized her disordered eating was about more than food. “I have a very addictive personality,” Pizzo explains. “If I get it in my mind that I need to look a certain way, I tend to keep that idea in my head until it is accomplished.”

Often, college environments feed into disordered eating tendencies. Chapman explains that the combination of newfound independence and social competition could increase stress, which is one of the top triggers of disordered eating.

Brotleit says that body image and self-esteem are almost inseparable so she helps students with eating and body issues by having them focus on setting and meeting personal goals. “There are many ways to value yourself that are not body-related,” says Brotleit. “Your body is part of who you are, not all of who you are. Focus on developing your strengths and try not to compare yourself too much; we’re all unique.”

Treatment That Works
Although college can be a breeding ground for disordered eating, many schools offer resources to people struggling with diet. Inver Hills Community College in Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, refers students to local outpatient treatment programs and the Methodist Hospital Eating Disorders Institute. In conjunction with National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in February, counseling services at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Massachusetts, offers a weeklong program of helpful information and confidential screenings.

Treatment is generally two-pronged, addressing both emotional and physical issues.

Chapman, who works with students, says, “Disordered eating changes the tapes that people play in their heads. They need to re-orient those thoughts and think of food as fuel.”

In addition to the resources offered at school, plenty of national treatment centers and support groups can help people with all degrees of disordered eating.

If you know someone who is having an issue with eating, reach out and try to help that person. “Try to talk to that person, and make him or her feel comfortable and support him or her,” says Rosario Diaz, a student at College of the Desert in Palm Desert, California. “If it was me who had this problem, I would try to talk about it with a friend or someone I trust, or I’d try to seek professional help.”

Recovery as a Journey
Rouille’s story continued with treatment at in-patient treatment programs, which helped her acknowledge triggers of her eating disorder, such as stress and vulnerability.

She has now been in recovery for three years, and admits that although it’s not always easy, it’s worth it.

“I know that it’s a daily struggle,” Rouille says. “But I just know if I want to be who I was made to be and be happy, I need to not base my worth on what I weigh.”

Mimi McCoy studies journalism at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. She also writes a blog called Pursuit of Healthfulness about her adventures in cooking, exercising, and learning.

FIND OUT MORE
To learn more about eating disorders or disordered eating to help yourself or others, CLICK on the following sites:
• National Eating Disorders Association
• Multiservice Eating Disorders Association
• Medline Plus/Eating Disorders

Defining the Terms
Disordered Eating: Any atypical eating habits or tendencies.

Eating Disorders: A subcategory of disordered eating, characterized by the most extreme behaviors. These disorders are recognized as mental illnesses that require professional help.
• Anorexia Nervosa: Characterized by self-starvation and extreme weight loss.
• Bulimia Nervosa: Characterized by cycles of bingeing and compensatory behaviors designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating.

Eating Disorders not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS): Symptoms don't meet the criteria for anorexia or bulimia yet display severe eating disordered symptoms.
• Binge Eating Disorder: Characterized by recurrent binge eating without the regular use of compensatory measures.

Definitions based on those provided by the Families Empowered And Supporting Treatment of Eating Disorders organization (F.E.A.S.T.)

Warning Signs of an Eating Disorder
• Dramatic Changes in Eating Habits: Do you suddenly avoid foods you once loved, particularly those high in fat or calories?
• Bad Body Image: Do you have a history of low self-esteem? Do you try to hide your body with baggy clothes?
• Extreme Exercise: Are you obsessive about sticking to an exercise regimen?
• Obsession with Food: Do you constantly think about food? Do you categorize foods as either “good” or “bad?”
• Trouble Expressing Emotions: Do you avoid dealing with emotional issues, instead making excuses such as “being stressed” or “being too tired?” Do you experience frequent mood swings?
• Social Dependency: Are you always striving to make other people happy? Do you depend on other people for your own happiness?

Based on “Warning Signs of an Eating Disorder” by Casa Palmera, an addictions treatment center.