The University of Idaho Argonaut

It may not be a coincidence that National Eating Disorder Awareness Week falls at the end of February — between failed New Year’s Resolutions and pressure to get ready for Spring Break and swimsuit season.
In conjunction with the national event, the University of Idaho is buzzing this week with information and activities dealing with the physical crisis some members of society find themselves in.
According to the Anne Collin’s eating disorder statistic Web site, an estimated 10 percent of female college students suffer from a clinical or borderline eating disorder.
Assuming that statistic reins true to UI, approximately 600 female students suffer daily from an eating disorder.

UI’s nutrition counselor, Dr. Verna Bergmann, is aware of the national numbers and poses as a constant resource to help combat the statistics.
“I think (the campus services) are very strong,” she said. “The Counseling and Testing Center, Student Recreation Center, Student Health Services, the dining center and myself all care about how well the students are eating and how healthy they are. It’s a great environment for students to be around people working from the same page and together for the students’ health.”
Bergmann does two to four nutrition lectures or cooking classes per month. She spends time working with student groups in sororities, fraternities and the residence halls, as well as occasionally teaching in the SRC. She said she sees a lot of similarities regarding body image struggles regardless of the living arrangements.
“I would say it’s an even spread, at least from what I am seeing,” she said. “I can’t say where there are more problems (because I don’t see it all).”

For this year, it appears Bergmann and the rest of UI’s staff’s dedication to helping students get healthy has paid off. Bergmann said she has seen fewer cases of people pleading for help with an eating disorder, and more of students seeking advice on how to get fit and healthy.
“I think in this moment in time, I am seeing less eating disorder cases than in the last two years,” she said. “I hope there (really) is less around campus and we’re all thinking healthier about ourselves and body image. I really appreciate students who will call and say ‘I want to lose weight in a healthy way, I just want to get healthier or I want to learn what a healthy diet is.’ I really celebrate that person.”
Despite numbers declining, Bergmann said eating disorder victims are still out there. She said catching someone in trouble can be tricky and requires knowledge on the signs to watch.

She said some common red flags include visible weight loss, isolation, low desire to join the group, skipping meals, changes in former eating habits, eating less, pushing food around, being uncomfortable around food, leaving the table quickly after a meal or even weight gain.
Even if someone is showing several of these signs, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have a full blown problem and Bergmann advises handling the subject with extreme tact and caution.
“Approach the idea that they don’t have an eating disorder and that you are only talking to them because you care,” she said. “It is best to say you noticed something and are curious and concerned. Go into it with a great deal of sensitivity, expecting the best.”
If a student is confident a friend is enduring one of the various forms of eating disorders, including but not limited to bulimia, anorexia, excessive exercising and binge eating, Bergmann said UI provides wonderful outlets to help battle through the illness. She said the friends brave enough to broach the uncomfortable subject are the ones worth having.

“If they do have an eating disorder, offer help,” she said. “(Those who do) I think are very caring friends.”
Once a problem is out in the open, treatment can be a long process requiring immense commitment. Bergmann said if a friend is going through the ordeal simply being there or lending a shoulder to cry on can go a long way.
“Understand that eating disorder treatment involves an intervention of a nutritionist and psychologist, as well as receiving medical help,” she said. “UI has some great resources.”
The Student Health Center and their staff isn’t the only outlet students can turn to. The Women’s Center is always open for women to come relax, talk or just gather information.
The Center is putting on various activities to educate and provide help during this week. Program coordinator Lysa Salsbury is confident the planned events will be a success helping those in need and spreading the word about the dangerous disease.
“College-aged women are at a higher risk for eating disorders,” she said. “We’re hoping these events will provide resources to proactively tackle the problem.”

The activities Salsbury refers to include a Q&A session with UI Couer d’Alene deictic professor Laurel Branen at 6 p.m Thursday in the Whitewater Room of the Commons. Later in the week, frustrated students will also have the opportunity to participate in interactive scale smashing in the Commons Plaza. Saturday will allow students to partake in a doll-making workshop titled, “I-Doll: Self Image Transformation Through Iconic Recreation,” led by local Intuitive consultant Jennifer Whitney. Males are also getting involved. The Brotherhood Empowerment Against Rape organization is sponsoring a free showing of the PBS special, “Dying to be Thin,” in Memorial Gym Room 109.
Salsbury hopes the variety, quality and high number of events will spread consciousness, and most importantly serve as an opportune time to come together to help everyone feel a little better about themselves.

“It is important as woman to keep telling each other ‘You’re OK as you are,’” she said. “Women are bombarded with imagery everywhere that is obviously retouched and airbrushed. It is important to tell women, ‘This is not real.’ Women come in all shapes and sizes and those differences should be celebrated.”
The Women’s Center’s dedication to promote positive self-esteem doesn’t start and end with this week. The student run organization, the Body Image Task Force, originated from the center a couple of years ago and is run from its office.
Mentoring Program Coordinator for the Center Bethany Anderson said the group is a great foundation for anyone battling the body blues to lean on. She said the weekly Monday meetings at 5 p.m. are discussion-oriented that deal with deep topics.
Anderson said the goals for the group are clear and members are determined to work to achieve them.
“(The group wants) to make people feel comfortable with their body image and come to some sort of peace with themselves,” she said. “It’s good to talk about different body images, media portrayals and the pressure we all have to be ‘perfect.’”

If attending a meeting or visiting a doctor seems intimidating, there are various students ready and willing to help. Residence hall advisers and Greek risk managers are positions put in place to provide those residing on campus with peer support.
Fallon Decker is a junior English literature major and a former sorority risk manger. She said the position is incredibly valuable in both educating large groups of women but enabling a support system as well.
“I think (risk managers and residence hall advisers) really try to alter that typical image of how a female should look and work to change people’s mindset,” she said. “They help put an emphasis on looking healthy rather than what society implies women should be.”
Decker said she hopes the position helps decrease eating disorder numbers and serves as a connector between students going through the same hardships.
“It is an intermediary that can be watching for behaviors that might be threatening to a group or individual,” she said. “They can inform the entire group as a whole so everyone can watch and help each other.”
There are people out there striving to change their bodies and able to refrain from taking their efforts too far.

Bergmann stresses there is nothing wrong with determination to get fit as long as it’s healthy. Her advice on looking the best is simple, and she encourages remaining honest with ones self.
“I would check myself against www.mypyramid.gov,” she said. “I would look to see what it is recommending for you. It’s loaded with a lot of education and will tell you how much food you need to be eating to maintain or loose weight.”
Among tracking calories, Bergmann said maintaining a balanced lifestyle is crucial to shedding or sustaining weight.
“Make sure you’re eating three meals a day,” she said. “Consuming adequate nutrition, exercising and getting enough sleep are all very important.”
The fitness journey may seem like a tough one, but it doesn’t have to be. Bergman said
coming to peace with yourself and knowing your body are vital to physical happiness.
“Go into it with realistic expectations of yourself,” she said.

Both Bergmann and the Women’s Center have high hopes for their celebration of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. All involved are ultimately striving to accomplish campus wide alertness about this painful issue.
“Awareness is the first step to change,” Bergmann said.