There are people in Hanover who are starving. I'm not talking about poverty in the Upper Valley. No, I'm talking about eating disorders and disordered eating. Before you stop reading because this doesn't "apply" to you, I guarantee you that someone you know has an eating disorder, whether you know it or not. There are a lot of secrets walking around this campus of ours -- people living with depression, substance abuse problems, memories of sexual abuse, the loss of a loved one and many others. One secret that is all too common is the often silent struggle many women (and some men) wage with their bodies.
We all know what eating disorders are, right? Anorexia nervosa, in which women starve themselves and/or obsessively exercise to lose weight, is the mental illness with the highest mortality rate. That means more people die from anorexia than from serious depression or any other mental illness you can think of. Bulimia, the disorder in which the person binges and purges, often using laxatives, vomiting or excessive exercise, may also cause serious health problems. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and associated disorders, 7 million women and 1 million men suffer from eating disorders in America, and in a recent "Time" article it was estimated that 10 percent of college age women are affected. A study done at Dartmouth in 1997 found that one in 20 women appear to have a full clinical eating disorder. Every year, Dartmouth students take a leave of absence to deal with their eating disorders and related problems. The college nutritionist, Marcia Herrin, has so many patients that there is often a 4-5 week waiting list for appointments and she has no time to do other types of educational programs.
Even more common than diagnosed "disorders" like anorexia and bulimia is disordered eating, which is rampant in our Dartmouth society. One in four Dartmouth women reported eating disorder symptoms, and the National Eating Disorder Screening Program reports that 15 percent of young women nationally have substantially disordered eating attitudes and behaviors. What is disordered eating? It may include dieting, constant preoccupation with counting calories and weight, bingeing, purging and excessive exercise. More than 80 percent of Dartmouth women want to lose weight, while 40 percent of men want to gain weight. One-third of Dartmouth women describe themselves as overweight when in reality only four percent are.
The single-minded preoccupation with the battle against food and weight saps the emotional energy and resources of many students beyond the ones with the actual disorders. Being the friend or partner to someone with an eating disorder can be an agonizing, upsetting, frustrating and difficult experience, especially if the person does not want to seek treatment. Watching a loved one waste away or engage in destructive behaviors negatively affects many Dartmouth students.
What can we do about all of this? Concrete answers are elusive, but educating ourselves and raising awareness about these issues can only help. SAFE (Students against the Abuse of Food and Exercise) with the sponsorship of the Class of '63, seeks to do just that on campus. We seek more institutional support from the College to help all students get information on healthier eating and exercising. We are compiling the stories of those affected by eating disorders, and sponsoring a tile-decorating project which will be displayed in Collis. Blitz SAFE if you wish to become involved.
Next week is Eating Disorders Awareness Week at Dartmouth, and the keynote event is "The Thin Line", a one person play on Feb. 1 at 7:00 p.m., in Filene Auditorium. There will also be a Brown Bag lunch about eating disorders at the Women's Resource Center on Feb. 2 at noon. Tiles will be available to decorate, and these events are a wonderful way to learn more and express your concern. Come, and bring your friends!
Please ask yourself this question: after Eating Disorders Awareness Week is over, what will you do about this issue? Need some suggestions? Think before you casually comment on other people's weight or eating habits. Participate in activities to show that you think this issue is an important one on our campus. Think about how many men and women you know who have a healthy relationship with food and their body image. Be sensitive to the fact that those around you may struggle with this every day. If you become concerned about a friend or yourself, seek help from an Eating Disorders Peer Advisors via Blitz bulletins. But most of all, please care and talk and agonize about this issue. Don't let it stay silent on our campus any longer.
