Eating Disorder Week increases awareness
Diets may be more harmful than they seem.
“Of all people who go on diets, one-third develop disordered
eating and one-quarter of those people develop a full-blown eating
disorder,” said Susan MacQuiddy, a psychologist at the University
Counseling Center.
Conservative estimates indicate that 5 to 10 million girls and
women and approximately 1 million boys and men are struggling with
eating disorders in the United States, according to National Eating
Disorder Association.
“Nobody starts out a diet wanting to have an eating disorder,”
MacQuiddy said. “Even though the number of people who have eating
disorders is relatively small, there are still a vast number of
people who struggle with negative feelings about their bodies.”
Chris Bachman, a registered dietician at the Health District,
said college tends to create an atmosphere conducive to negative
body image.
” Eating disorders are very prevalent on college campuses
because there is pressure to meet society’s norms,” Bachman
said.
This week is Eating Disorder Awareness Week and Bachman hopes it
will be a reminder of the eating problems that men and women across
the world struggle with.
“Nationally, we hope that this week raises awareness,” Bachman
said. “Eating disorders won’t just go away, people have to get
help.”
Dr. Jane Higgins, a physician at Hartshorn Health Service, said
CSU has many resources available to students struggling with eating
disorders.
“We are very lucky to have good outpatient resources at CSU,”
Higgins said. “Students can visit the health service, the women’s
health and nutritionist health promotions and the counseling
center. If they go to one they will likely be referred to the other
two because the effort is best done as a team.”
MacQuiddy encourages students to utilize campus resources for
eating disorders and has confidence that Eating Disorder Awareness
Week will promote positive body image.
“I’m really hopeful that what we can do is call attention to the
problem we have and help people appreciate their bodies,” MacQuiddy
said. “We should support the notion that it is what is on the
inside that counts.”
Eating Disorder Survivor Panel
Thursday, February 26, 2004
Room 213/215 in the Lory Student Center
7 – 8:30 p.m.
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