Why Do So Many College Students Develop Eating Disorders?
There is no question that eating disorders are on the rise. A recent study looked at the prevalence of eating disorder symptoms in college students and found that 13.5% of women and 3.6% of men screened positively for having eating disorder behaviors (Eisenberg, et al., 2011). There are many contributing factors to why this might be. Some of which include the stress of being in college, social media, moving away from family and friends, and the social implications that idolize thinness.
College can be stressful already. It is a confusing time and if you are also trying to navigate an eating disorder, it can feel even more confusing. I wanted to put together a list of signs and symptoms that it might be time to seek help for an eating disorder or a developing eating disorder. Eating disorders come in many forms; body image dissatisfaction, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, body dysmorphia, orthorexia, and the list goes on. Many of these diagnoses are rooted in the same fundamental things. Here are some signs that it might be time to seek the help of a professional:
You hate your body - no matter what anyone tells you, no matter what you try to tell yourself, you simply can’t stand your body.
You weigh yourself every day - for many people this can be a clear sign that their eating habits have become too rigid. Maybe you base what you are going to eat that day off of the number on the scale? Maybe you exercise if you did not like the number that you saw on the scale? Maybe you hide under the covers for the rest of the day if you see a number that is less than desirable in your mind
You constantly think about food - food is on your mind all the time and you are constantly thinking about when your next meal will come and what it will be, making it hard to get other things done
You feel out of control around food - many attribute this to binge eating disorder, although it is more complex than that. The point is that you might have times when you lose control of yourself and your decisions when you are around food
Your self worth is tied to your weight - you feel like you are good, bad, pretty, or ugly based on the size of your body
This is only a supplemental list. There are many other signs and symptoms that it might be time to seek the help of a professional. With that being said, if you read this list and identified with one or more of these signs - it might be time to reach out for support with eating disorder treatment. Eating disorders do not discriminate against size, despite what stereotypes might say.
Why do eating disorders often develop in college?
College can be an incredibly stressful time. You might be feeding yourself and making your meals for the first time in your life, you might be comparing yourself to other individuals based on their size, you might be in a new community that does not have body diversity. In any case, it is hard to be on your own. It can be even harder to create a healthy relationship with your body when there are new social standards in place.
I encourage you to reflect on the things that you feel and the things that you tell yourself when you are at social gatherings or scrolling on social media. There is a chance that your thoughts reflect a comparative narrative to the peers around you.
Diagnosis is not necessary
You do not need to be sick enough or have a full-on-diagnosed eating disorder to need help. Diagnoses are a tool used to give certain people clarity around what is going on. At times, they are not necessary or even helpful.
Reach out for support with eating disorder treatment
If you are interested in seeking support I would love to work with you towards reaching your goals. If you are interested in learning more about how I work with eating disorder treatment or how I work with online therapy I encourage you to read more.
If you are interested in setting up a free 20 minute consultation please reach out!
-Ellie