Eating Disorders and Body Image
What is an Eating Disorder?
Eating disorders are behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions. These conditions can severely affect physical, psychological, and social function. Types of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, other specified feeding and eating disorder, pica and rumination disorder.
Eating disorders affect up to 5% of the population, most often developing in adolescence and young adulthood. Eating disorders are often associated with preoccupations with food, weight, or shape, or with anxiety about eating or the consequences of eating certain foods. Behaviors associated with eating disorders include restrictive eating or avoidance of certain foods, binge eating, purging, laxative misuse, or compulsive exercise.
If you are concerned that you may be experiencing disordered eating, please contact Stonehill Counseling Services or Health Services.
Resources:
What are Eating Disorders? - American Psychiatric Association
NEDA (National Eating Disorders Association) Screening Tool
Renfrew Eating Disorder Treatment Center
Walden Eating Disorder Treatment
Body image:
- How you see yourself when you look in the mirror or when you picture yourself in your mind.
- What you believe about your own appearance (including your memories, assumptions, and generalizations).
- How you feel about your body, including your height, shape, and weight.
- How you sense and control your body as you move.
- How you feel in your body, not just about your body.
Negative body image:
- A distorted perception of your body.
- You feel ashamed, self-conscious, and anxious about your body.
- You feel uncomfortable and awkward in your body.
Positive body image:
- You celebrate and appreciate your natural body shape and understand that a person`s physical appearance says very little about their character and value as a person.
- You feel proud and accepting of your body and work to avoid worrying about food, weight, and calories.
- You feel comfortable and confident in your body.
Body Neutrality:
- Accepting and caring for your body without judgment or placing value on it.
- Focusing on how your body helps you move, feel, and interact with the world.
- Reducing the importance of appearance: You can recognize that your body is only a small part of who you are.
How to help a friend or loved one with an eating disorder or body image issues
You cannot force someone to seek help, change their habits, or adjust their attitudes. You will make important progress in honestly sharing your concerns, providing support, and knowing where to go for more information. There is help available on and off campus - please reach out to campus supports to navigate this.
If you are concerned that you may be experiencing disordered eating, please contact Stonehill Counseling Services or Health Services.
The Office of Health and Wellness offers information on how to live a healthy lifestyle and make positive behavior choices. The office promotes the health and wellbeing of students through prevention of illness, injury and disease, and through raising awareness of issues affecting the students mind, body and spirit.