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The most common eating disorders on college campuses are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia. Persons with Anorexia Nervosa deliberately attempt to lose weight through self-starvation. Even though they may be extremely underweight, they see themselves as "fat", deny any problem with their eating habits, and will resist any efforts made to get them to eat or return to a more healthy weight. Persons with Bulimia engage in frequent, often daily binge eating in which they eat very large amounts of food, often in secret. They will then try to counteract the binge by purging, which may involve self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives, or prolonged fasting and exercise. Persons with Bulimia feel out of control in the cycle of bingeing and purging. Both of these disorders occur more frequently in young women, with Bulimia being the more common. It is estimated that one in twenty college-age women have an eating disorder. Both disorders may have serious medical consequences.

While many persons with Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia deny the problem and are reluctant to seek help, they often come to the attention of friends and family. A direct, caring, and nonjudgmental expression of concern about their health by friends and family is often a vital first step in enabling persons with eating disorders to seek appropriate treatment. Help is available in the form of individual psychotherapy, medical and nutritional counseling, and self-help support groups. With proper help, persons with an eating disorder can learn to stabilize their eating patterns, maintain a healthy weight, and become less preoccupied with food.

More information and help is available on the Virginia Tech campus through Virginia Tech's Schiffert Health Center and Cook Counseling Center. Call Schiffert Health Center at 231-6444 or call Cook Counseling Center at 231-6557.