Study: Eating disorders are deadliest psychiatric disease

American women are bombarded with images of so-called perfection - models who average 5 feet 11 inches and 117 pounds. But those models are thinner than 98 percent of the nation's women, many of whom base their body image on such unrealistic standards. As Body Image Awareness Week comes to a close, SIUC's Student Health Programs hoped to help raise knowledge about what one dietician calls the deadliest psychiatric disease in the nation.

Throughout the week, several different information booths have been set up around campus to let students know about different eating disorders and what victims can do to get help. Lynn Gill, a dietician at the Wellness Center, said the program is designed to provide education on different eating disorders, like anorexia, bulimia nervosa, muscle dimorphic syndrome and binge eating.

"Eating disorders are very serious," Gill said. "People can get very isolated and lonely. The emotional part can be the most difficult to deal with." More women than men bear the weight of these diseases, Gill said. A National Eating Disorders Association study found that the average American woman is 5 feet 4 inches and 140 pounds, but 5 million to 10 million females suffer from eating disorders. Another study showed that half of 9- and 10-year-old girls feel better about themselves if they are on a diet. Gill said men can also be victims. According to the association, 1 million men are dissatisfied with the way their body looks.

Many people who suffer from eating disorders deny they have them, Gill said. By raising awareness of the diseases, she said she hopes students can learn how to help themselves or others who may be sufferers. Eating disorders can arise for many reasons, but Gill said the media play the biggest role in promoting the idea of a perfect image, whether it is through television, magazines or the Internet. "Studies have shown that 90 percent of girls have Barbie dolls before the age of 13," Gill said. "Barbie's figure is not possible. It does have influence on young girls."

Besides information being handed out regarding the disorder, the workers at the booths also handed out information on what to do to help a friend or family member who may have the disease. Michelle McLernon, a health education specialist for the Trueblood Hall Outreach Office, gives presentations in classes on nutrition and eating disorders and also helped implement the program. "We encourage students to stop," McLernon said. "We're not trying to sell anything. We want to help. If we can get students aware of our services or get them to think about an issue, then we have made a difference."

McLernon said posters displaying graphic images of people with severe eating disorders - the biggest attention-drawer being a picture of a severely underweight woman who still claims to be fat - drew the most attention from students who walked by. Getting to students on a college campus is especially important because such a drastic change in lifestyle can often bring on disorders, Gill said. Students often tend to develop poor eating habits due to being stressed out and having less time for healthy meals.

While the Wellness Center's efforts may not have touched everyone on campus, many students think raising awareness for college students is important. "Society puts far too much emphasis on something so unimportant," said Clive Walker, a junior from Highland studying zoology. "Raising awareness on anything like this is good."