A recent College survey of 400 random female students found that 15 percent admitted to having eating disorders, College nutritionist Marcia Herrin said.
Herrin and Women's Resource Center interim director Sandy Spiegel led a discussion last night in the Hyphen lounge of Russell Sage and Butterfield residence halls titled "Body Image and You: Perfect Together."
The discussion focused on eating disorders and the media's portrayal of beauty and dieting.
"Any given term, there are usually 60 women being treated for eating disorders," Herrin said.
In the first part of the discussion, Herrin and Spiegel provided
fashion and glamour magazines and asked the handful of participants to cut out images that had either positive or negative connotations.
The photographs were then pasted on poster board in a collage format to promote conversation.
Most of the photos selected were pictures of thin women or famous supermodels.
"This is a comment on what the media tells us we should look like," Spiegel said.
"Unfortunately, the media tries to convince us that we can all look like these models if we try hard enough," Herrin said. "The fact is that some of these models don't even look like these models. With computer enhancement, the media can portray any image it wants."
Spiegel noted the high incidence of eating disorders among women who have been sexually abused or assaulted. Thirty to 50 percent of sexually abused or assaulted women develop eating disorders, she said.
Spiegel and Herrin also discussed the racial stereotypes of eating disorders as solely a concern for white women.
"This is no longer a white woman's problem," Herrin said. "Eating disorders cross all racial boundaries."
Herrin pointed to recent studies that show young black girls having higher self-esteem than young white girls.
"This might be attributed to the strong emphasis black families place on self-esteem and could be the reason why eating disorders among black women are lower than in other ethnic groups," Herrin said.
Handouts were distributed listing some common warning signs of anorexia and bulimia. Preoccupation with food, evidence of binge eating and extreme concern about appearance are typical indicators of an eating disorder.
The handouts stress that absolute diagnosis should be made by a professional.
Herrin emphasized that women should listen to their bodies and "learn to eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full."
"It is a challenge to stay healthy and not become obsessed by fat, but we must learn to treat our bodies well," Herrin said. "Dieting should be thought of as dangerous behavior because women don't know how their bodies will respond."
Herrin said that eating disorders are much more dangerous than they used to be because of the current fitness craze.
"In the past, women with eating disorders were either starving or binge eating but exercise was not really a factor," Herrin said. "Now when exercise is combined with eating disorders, a lot more stress is put on the body. The result is that people with eating disorders are much sicker than they used to be," she said.
Exercise without dieting is a good way to stay healthy, Herrin said.
"Large amounts of exercise aren't necessary," Spiegel said. "Women shouldn't feel bad if they don't want to cross-country ski every day. They should find some type of exercise they like and do it."
Dana White '94, Russell Sage's area coordinator and participant in the discussion, said she likes to exercise to workout tapes.
"I like my workout tape because it shows women of all different body types exercising," White said. "I don't feel like I have to meet a specific standard."
Women who feel they have an eating disorder or know someone who does may contact Herrin through Health Services or Spiegel through the Women's Resource Center.
