PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALI NASHATIZADEH AND KELLEN JENKINS

Imagine gazing into your bathroom mirror and being utterly disgusted by the image before you. The outlines of your body appear warped and bloated, like a reflection from a funhouse mirror. Although you have barely eaten anything in days, you make a mental note to minimize your portions in the future. Skipping breakfast, you head outside for your daily ten mile jog.

Though your morning routine is likely quite different, this scenario is not far from reality for many of those who suffer from an eating disorder.

“I would get teased in school because I hit puberty much earlier than the other girls,” said Trishelle Miller, junior special education major, who struggled with her body image as a young girl. “So I started purging after meals to stay small.”

The week of Feb. 22-28 is recognized as National Eating Disorders Awareness Week. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, the purpose of this weeklong event is “to ultimately prevent eating disorders and body image issues while reducing the stigma surrounding eating disorders and improving access to treatment.”

Eating disorders involve extremes in eating behavior, including extreme reductions in eating, extreme overeating or feelings of extreme distress over one’s bodily appearance.

According to a 2007 study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health, approximately 1% of women and 0.3% of men reported having anorexia at some time in their life, while 1.5% of women and 0.5% of men reported having bulimia.

“I think women are more susceptible to eating disorders because of the standards that are placed on them by society, to be thin and to look a certain way,” said Patrick Garrick, licensed Master’s level psychologist for the Mental Health Center of East Central Kansas. “Women are also more likely to report having eating disorders. Men are generally less likely to report symptoms for fear of social stigma or being seen as weak.”

Although most people are dissatisfied with aspects of their physical appearance, individuals with eating disorders may view themselves in far more negative ways.

“I was always pretty thin but I saw myself as overweight, so I would eat hardly anything and then purge what I did ingest,” Miller said.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the two most commonly diagnosed eating disorders.

Anorexia involves an unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy body weight combined with an intense fear of gaining weight. Individuals with this disorder often possess distorted self-perceptions and view themselves as fat, despite being significantly underweight and malnourished.

Bulimia involves periods of ‘binge eating,’ during which an individual overeats while experiencing an intense lack of control over his or her food intake. Such periods of binge eating are followed by behaviors intended to compensate for the overeating, such as self-induced vomiting, the misuse of laxatives and diuretics, or excessive exercise.

When a person has an eating disorder, his or her relationships are also often affected.

“I was bulimic for about seven years,” Miller said. “I think most of my friends just didn’t know what to say, but I’m sure all of them knew. It aggravated my boyfriend… he didn’t understand why I did it, but he also was supportive in the healing process.”

For Miller, though, many of those close to her were not as supportive.

“My stepdad thought I was being stupid and weak,” she said. “He would tell me that I was being selfish and that I needed to grow up and stop it. His constant berating made it worse for me.”

Aneta Bodkin, licensed Master’s social worker and assistant director of the Department of Student Wellness’ Counseling Center, believes that individuals suffering from eating disorders must be treated with compassion and respect.

“They need support, and they need to know that there is a place they can go to get help,” Bodkin said.

Bodkin encourages all students to complete the free online mental health screening test available on the Counseling Center’s Web page at http://www.emporia.edu/counseling, which includes an eating disorder assessment.

The Department of Student Wellness provides free counseling services from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Bodkin also recommends that students who suspect one of their friends has an eating disorder should not remain silent.

“Encourage the person to get help, and consider going with them if they feel it’s appropriate,” she said.

Miller also has advice for the friends of those with eating disorders.

“They need to be supportive whether or not they agree with what is happening or not,” Miller said. “When a person is going through something like that, being told to just stop actually makes us feel worse. Also, don’t try to force them to stop – when they are ready for help, they will take it, but people don’t change unless they are ready.”

If left untreated, eating disorders may lead to a wide range of negative consequences, ranging from negative self-image and depression to organ failure or death.

Miller was hospitalized for her bulimia on four separate occasions.

“Three times were because I was forced, due to collapsing and worry from my mom and teachers, and the last time was because I was ready for change and I admitted myself (to the hospital.)”

Miller also has advice for individuals who are considering seeking professional help for their body image issues but are too afraid to do so.

“I would tell them that if they are ready for help, to seek it, because they will not be judged for what they are doing.” Miller said. “They are still important and special and they deserve to be happy and have another chance at life.”

Ali Nashatizadeh/The Bulletin

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