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SINCE WOMEN
COLLEGE STUDENTS ARE USUALLY INTELLIGENT AND WELL- EDUCATED, THEY ARE A
LOW-RISK GROUP FOR EATING DISORDERS.
While many women college students are
expected to be competitive and successful, they also feel the demand to
remain feminine and "desirable." Such demands may create conflicts and
feelings of being overwhelmed. This can be a factor in why they
develop problematic relationships with food. The relationship leads to
restricting food intake to attain desirable slimness and femininity
and sometimes to indulging in food to comfort emotional distress.
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ONLY FEMALES
HAVE EATING DISORDERS.
Among the college student population, a
reported 1% to 7% of male students suffer from eating disorders; among
the general population, the estimate is 5%. Some research findings
suggested that men and women with an eating disorder have similar
clinical characteristics, such as an obsession with thinness,
distorted body image, and emotional problems. They also share similar
causal factors, such as socioeconomic status, family dynamics, and a
history of weight disturbance. Although men are considered a low-risk
group for eating disorders, partly because they are not under as much
social pressure to be slim and thin, we should be aware of the
"Pursuit of Fitness" among many men. This may lead to
obsessive-compulsive thinking and behaviors, low self-esteem, and
distorted body image, characteristics of eating disorders. It should
also be noted that male athletes are at a higher risk for eating
disorders, as are those in disciplines where maintenance of weight is
considered important. In these populations, such disorders are far more
commonplace.
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"FAT-ISM"
IS NONEXISTENT. FAT PEOPLE HAVE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT
THEMSELVES.
Unfortunately, "fat-ism" is predominant in
our society without our being aware of its existence. Like racism and
sexism, fat-ism is a prejudice based on physical characteristics. Many
of us consider fatness equivalent to laziness, dumbness, ugliness,
self-indulgence, and lack of will power. Negative comments about the
physical appearance of individuals who are overweight are judgmental and
unfair. "Fat-ism"implies narrow-mindedness and an inability to
appreciate the variety of body shapes and sizes that are largely
predetermined by biological factors such as age, gender, race, and
heredity.
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REPEATED
WEIGHT-LOSS DIETING ENSURES PERMANENT WEIGHT CONTROL.
- When the body is faced with constant
deprivation, it automatically tries to conserve energy by slowing down
the metabolism, instead of continuing to burn body fat. The longer
people stay on low calorie diets, the longer it takes for their
metabolism to return to normal. Thus, dieting predisposes people to
rapid weight gains immediately following the loosening of food
restriction.
- Evidence indicates that when people lose
weight, they lose fat and protein, but when they regain, they regain
mostly fat.
- When weight is lost, the fat cells shrink, but
when weight is regained, fat cells multiply. These "fattening" effects
of weight loss are referred to as "overcompensation" that may mean the
intention and effort to lose weight becomes a "never-win" distress.
The fact is, repeated weight-loss
dieting leads to higher and higher weight gains. Here are three reasons
for this phenomenon:
Based on current statistics,
after two years, 95% of dieters regain all their lost weight plus about
ten extra pounds; and after five years, 98% of dieters regain all
their lost weight plus about ten extra pounds.
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WITH
A SENSIBLE DIET AND A STRONG COMMITMENT, EVERYONE CAN BECOME AND REMAIN
THIN.
- Fatness is caused by lifestyle. The fact is that
fatness most often is due to heredity and metabolism and not everyone
can be as thin as they want to be, no matter how strong their commitment
is.
- A sensible diet (i.e., a low calorie diet)
can control weight gains. The fact is that such a diet may lead to more
weight gain, as mentioned in the previous myth. Through a healthy diet
and regular exercise, some weight loss may be expected: however, most
women, no matter how hard they try, will always be heavier than "model
thin." The truism here is that thinness is a prevailing unhealthy
obsession in our society and we tend to mislabel thinness as "happy
ever after."
This statement implies several
faulty assumptions:
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EATING
DISORDERS CANNOT BE FATAL.
Many have heard about people,
such as singer Karen Carpenter, who have died of anorexia nervosa, an
eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and weakened immunity
and heart function due to undernutrition. Based on the information
provided by the American Anorexia/Bulimia Association, an estimated
one percentof U.S. teenagers suffer from anorexia and up to ten percent
of these will die. Fatal dangers for both anorexics and bulimics include
gastric ruptures, cardiac arrhythmias, and heart failure. Many other
medical complications are not necessarily fatal, but can lead to
permanent physical and neurological damages. For example, in an effort
to reduce weight and maintain energy without eating, many individuals
with eating disorders turn to laxatives and dieting pills. Side
effects of inappropriate use of laxatives are dry skin due to
dehydration, abdominal cramping, muscle cramps, and electrolyte
imbalances which affect neurological functioning. Daily use of dieting
pills may lead to rebound fatigue and overeating, insomnia, mood
changes, irritability, and in extremely large doses, psychosis (Johnson
& Connors, 1987).
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ONLY THOSE WHO ARE APPARENTLY UNDERWEIGHT OR OVERWEIGHT MAY
HAVE OR WILL HAVE EATING DISORDERS.
It is inaccurate to judge if
someone does or does not have an eating disorder simply by their
appearance and weight. What is important to remember is that eating
disorders are often characterized by a set of psychological symptoms:
distorted body image, obsession with losing weight, distress over body
size and shape, perfectionism, and emotional difficulties. These
psychological symptoms are not necessarily reflected in a person's
weight.
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ONLY
THE MENTALLY ILL WILL DEVELOP EATING DISORDERS.
The cause of eating disorders is
believed to be a combination of biological, psychological, and
socio-cultural factors. To date, we know women are much more likely to
have eating disorders than men. Women f color may be as vulnerable as
Caucasian women to developing eating disorders. Adolescents and young
adults are an especially high-risk group, especially if they are
achievement-oriented. People engaged in sports or artistic activities
that require careful maintenance of body weight (such as wrestling,
gymnastics, and dancing) are more likely to develop eating disorders.
Generally speaking, eating disorders can develop in any person. The good
news is that eating disorders can be prevented and successfully
treated, but they must be taken seriously as they can be
life-threatening.
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BECAUSE
PEOPLE WITH EATING DISORDERS TEND TO REMAIN SECRETIVE ABOUT THEIR
EATING BEHAVIORS, IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO DETECT AND HELP THIS
POPULATION.
It is not uncommon for people to
engage in bingeing and/or purging behaviors for years before their
family or friends notice a problem. Learning about eating disorders may
help to detect early warning signs, including frequent use of bathrooms
right after meals, vigorous exercise, preoccupation with body weight and
constant weighing. Knowledge about medical complications, such as hair
loss, complaints of sore throat and bloating stomach, fatigue and
muscle weakness, tooth decay, and swelling, can help to identify this
disorder. The most challenging task is to confront the person who
denies having an eating disorder. Because so much shame, guilt, and
extreme fear of loss of body control is involved, acknowledging the
problem can be very terrifying. Direct and supportive communications as
well as consultation and help from professionals (such as physicians,
psychiatrists, psychologists, counselors, and nutritionists) often lead
to the successful initiation of the treatment and recovery process.
If you think you need help, come see one of
the professionals in the Student Health Center
(585-395-2414) or the Counseling Center (585-395-2207).
Recognizing this problem is the first step to the treatment and
recovery process, and we can help.
