An eating disorder is a serious health problem that often goes unnoticed by close friends and family members. In addition, the prevalence of the illnesses often goes unnoticed by the University community. The biggest misconception about eating disorders is that they only affect women. It is true that 10 percent of all University women suffer from bulimia or other eating disorders, but statistics about men in this situation could be low because they are underreported. Social pressures and other external factors keep men from admitting to having diseases or conditions society most often associates with women. Men, as well as women, suffer from insecurity about their appearance and other physical characteristics - this type of anxiety crosses gender lines. Aside from widely known eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia, many people exercise constantly and skip meals in order to "improve" their self-image.
Last Monday, the University's Psychological Clinic took great strides in improving the current situation when they began their nine-week support and education program called the Eating Issues and Body Image Workshop. This program is designed to target women with eating disorders or those who are obsessed with food. Health problems resulting from these disorders and ways to control compulsive eating will be discussed. This problem affects a significant portion of University students and often goes unnoticed and untreated. Of the 2.5 percent of first-year female students diagnosed as engaging in bulimic behavior, only one in seven gets treatment - a disturbing fact that can only be changed through increased awareness and education.
A person with an eating disorder will often not admit to having one - it is up to those surrounding them to help identify the problem and get medical attention for them. The ability to recognize an eating disorder requires one to have some educational training on the issue. Programs like the National Eating Disorders Screening Program, being held on Feb. 26 at the Michigan Union, are vital to the University community's awareness of the issue and the people trying to assess their eating and exercise habits. The University's Psychological Clinic, the University Health Service and the Counseling and Psychological services should be commended for their efforts to help increase the awareness of all students and faculty members and for helping those students seeking medical help.
Eating disorders affect every member of the University community in some fashion. A student's friend or family member could have an eating disorder and without the proper education on the subject, individuals would be unable to help them. The University medical establishment has taken the first step in the fight against the disorders, but the rest of the community should get involved. Several sororities have made serious efforts at addressing these problems but more needs to be done. Without the proper attention and education of all University members, this societal problem will persist.