Is Your Student
at Risk for an Eating Disorder? By Oona Hanson
W
ith increased awareness of mental health challenges among adolescents, parents are more attuned than ever to their children’s well-being. However, before the departure for college, many families haven’t talked about one of the most insidious threats to student health: eating disorders.
Why should we be aware of eating disorders? They are far more common than you think, and they are deadly serious; after opioid addiction, eating disorders are the most fatal mental illness. They wreak havoc on both mind and body, but the good news is that they are treatable. Early detection and family support can make a world of difference.
Here’s what you need to know, red flags to look for, and conversation tips.
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Starting College Increases Your Student’s Risk The first year of college is one of the peak times for the onset of an eating disorder. The stressors (living away from home, losing access to familiar foods, less structure in the daily schedule) all make it more likely that a young person will skip meals, binge eat, or engage in other disordered behaviors around food. In addition, many new students worry about the so-called “freshman 15.” This fear of weight gain can increase the risk for an eating disorder by leading to dietary restriction, body image concerns, and/or overexercise. Eating disorders are incredibly complex but we know
that dieting is the single biggest risk factor. What’s tricky is that today’s teens are unlikely to use the term “dieting” — instead, they may call it “clean eating,” a “detox,” or a “lifestyle change,” or they may use a weightloss or fitness app that claims it’s “not a diet.” You might assume your child could never develop an eating disorder because they don’t fit the image associated with these illnesses. Contrary to popular myths, eating disorders don’t have a “look” — they affect people of every gender, race, socioeconomic background, and body size. Stereotypes about who gets eating disorders (thin, white, affluent teen girls) can make it hard for families to recognize that their loved one is struggling.
Fall 2022
