77 76 Chapter Five: Supporting Students with Mental Health Difficulties Chapter Five: Supporting Students with Mental Health Difficulties Disordered Eating Teenagers and college-age students are particularly vulnerable to disordered eating and body image concerns. Studies of university women suggested that 43% were currently dieting despite 78% of them having a healthy body mass index (Fayet, Petocz, & Samman, 2012). Recent evidence has also highlighted the increased prevalence of dysfunctional eating patterns among university men (Dubovia, Li, & Martin, 2016). Disordered eating is complex and usually develops from a combination of psychological, familial, social and cultural factors. There are three main eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. Anorexia represents an extreme form of self-starvation while bulimia and binge-eating disorders are characterized by the loss of control over eating patterns. Individuals with bulimia tend to compensate for frequent binge eating by purging and fasting, whereas those with binge-eating disorder binges without compensatory behaviors and therefore ends up overweight or obese. Eating disorders are increasingly recognized as an important cause of morbidity and mortality in young individuals, with the highest rates occurring in those with anorexia nervosa (Arcelus, Mitchell, Wales, & Nielsen, 2011). Therefore, it is necessary to recognize early warning signs of disordered eating and encourage students to seek professional help. References Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A. J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: a meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(7), 724-731. Dubovi, A. S., Li, Y., & Martin, J. L. (2016). Breaking the silence: Disordered eating and big five traits in college men. American Journal of Men’s Health, 10(6), NP118-NP126. Fayet, F., Petocz, P., & Samman, S. (2012). Prevalence and correlates of dieting in college women: a cross sectional study. International Journal of Women’s Health, 4, 405. “Teenagers and college-age students are particularly vulnerable to disordered eating and body image concerns.” e.g. SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS • Extreme body shapes extraordinary skinny • Significant decrease or increase in weight • Constant adherence to increasingly strict diets, regardless of weight • Unusual eating habits or secretive eating • Making lists of “good” and “bad” food • Habitual trips to bathroom immediately after eating • Preoccupation with food, weight loss, or body image • Increase in consumption of laxatives, diuretics or diet pills • Exercising excessively, often several hours per day • Withdrawal from friends and family • Avoidance of meals or social situations where food may be present • Depression, anxiety, moodiness or irritability • Low self-esteem • Perfectionism
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