Eating Disorders (6I)

As part of my involvement I decided to go down to the health center and find out more about common health problems college students are likely to face. There are many brochures that talk about Sex, Relationships, Eating Right, Different Types of STD’s, Eating Disorders and more. I focused on eating disorders because I feel like in our society it’s becoming a serious problem. Some common eating disorders/ conditions include anorexia, bulimia, compulsive eating, and disordered eating.

Anorexia is when the person doesn’t eat enough and skips meals by denying hunger. People with this disorder tend to be very concerned with their weight, and tend to be 15% below the normal weight.

Bulimia is when the person eats too much at one time and then purges to get the food out. Usually the person stays near or at normal body weight. They eat in secret, and then they purge by vomiting, using laxatives, or exercising too much.

Compulsive Eating is when the person is overweight or obese due to eating large amounts of food. They can’t control themselves, eat late at night, and do not exercise.

Disordered eating is when a person has unusual good and exercise habits. They tend to not eat enough, skip meals, and thinks about food and weight constantly.

Inquiry Questions:

How can you avoid these types of disorders from developing?

I think that being educated about how to be healthy helps avoid it. Knowing how to maintain a healthy weight with a balanced diet and exercise routine is the best way. Also the media portrays the average woman or teenager to be super skinny and thin. Showing girls that it’s not okay to be that thin, will prevent these types of disorders.

What type of help/ treatment do people with these disorders/ conditions need?

I think that these people need counseling. They need to know that it’s very unhealthy to have such eating habits. They are unhealthy for a reason. Medicine is advancing and making progress. Hopefully one day they can create medicine to help people with eating disorders. It may not be easy for them to stop because it’s a habit they have created. It’s their way of feeling good about themselves, and the need to find a different, healthier way to feel good about themselves.