MATTE RELEASE--(COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE)--Feb 22, 2005--Robin, 23, has struggled with anorexia for 11 years. During her sophomore year of college, she experienced her worst of times. ''I`d tell myself I couldn`t eat until I got a task done,'' says Robin. ''I`d chew gum or drink coffee if I felt hungry.'' At mid-term, she was 20 pounds thinner than at the start of the semester.
''I was in denial about it. Completely,'' says Robin. ''I thought that if I could just get straight A`s, it would go away.''
In the flurry of college life, anorexia might feel taboo, but eating disorders thrive in the demographic. Roughly 95 percent of people with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. It`s difficult to understand the struggles of someone with this potentially fatal disease, but showing empathy and encouraging that person to see a doctor or counselor can help a friend`s life -- or even save it.
According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder characterized by an obsession with weight loss despite an ever-thinning body. Some of the early warning signs include preoccupations with weight or losing weight, extreme dieting, or excessive exercising. Some individuals with anorexia also resort to more drastic measures to shed pounds such as starving themselves, or purging by making themselves vomit or using laxatives. In the meantime, their academic and athletic performance may appear normal, and even successful.
Anorexia is a serious illness that has the highest fatality rate of any psychiatric disorders. The cause of death is often not starvation, but a slow degradation of the body. According to NEDA, the general lack of nutrition leads to a weakened immune system. Anorexia is known to be the cause of many medical problems ranging from brittle bones, chronic fatigue, hair loss, dry skin, to more serious complications such as kidney failure due to severe dehydration, irregular heartbeat, or extreme low blood pressure.
What causes anorexia? Current research may help to reveal further insight into this complex disorder. Walter H. Kaye, psychiatrist at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, says that it is thought anorexia results from a complex interplay of heredity, biology and environmental factors. ''There may be an underlying genetic susceptibility that makes some individuals more sensitive than others to environmental factors, like the cultural emphasis on dieting and slimness.''
Dr. Kaye is currently leading a four-year international study that seeks to understand the relationship between genes and anorexia. The study is looking for families where at least two relatives have or had anorexia. It involves phone interviews, questionnaires and a blood draw (Details about the study can be found at www.angenetics.org or by calling 1-888-895-3886). Learning how genes contribute to anorexia will help in developing more effective treatments that may eventually save lives.
Treating anorexia at college requires a combination of psychological and medical interventions, according to Craig Johnson, Ph.D., Director of the Eating Disorders Program at Laureate Psychiatric Hospital in Tulsa, Okla. Students with less severe cases may need therapy once a week. More severe cases may require hospitalization.
Approaching a friend who has an eating disorder can be difficult. Denial is one of the cardinal features of someone who is struggling with the illness says Dr. Johnson. He recommends that you gently approach the individual and express concern about specific behaviors that you have observed such as excessive exercise, purging or extreme dieting. If they are unresponsive to the gentle inquiry, then it may be necessary to contact their parents or someone in a position of authority. Dr Johnson stresses ''It is very important that you alert someone, because people die from these illnesses.''
Robin, a recent college graduate, was more fortunate. Although she never talked about her eating disorder with her friends and never sought counseling for it, she is now maintaining a healthy weight and outlook. ''I have a job where I work with talented, passionate people. Successful people, who didn`t get to where they are because of how thin they are,'' she says.
Nonetheless, Robin never goes out to eat, as a rule. Her rule suggests that she still struggles with the notion of eating and weight. How does she feel about an article on how friends can begin to understand what someone with anorexia goes through? ''That`s awesome,'' she says.
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For more information about eating disorders, contact National Association for Eating Disorders (NEDA) at www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
For more information about the genetic study of anorexia, contact www.angenetics.org.
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