Freja Petersen, D.Couns.Psych, B.Sc & David Boyd | Guest Writers
Reading week is over, and this term reaches the halfway mark, with exams and assignments filling up diaries and students filling up the libraries. For some students, the increased academic pressure triggers existing problems with self-esteem, perfectionism and concerns about appearance and eating.
One way this can express itself is through eating disorders. Some students experienced eating and body issues before coming to college, while others turn to unhealthy diets, over-exercise, binges or preoccupation with their bodies in response to new pressures and the fear of not doing well enough academically or socially.
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Up to 90% of normal weight female college students want to be thinner
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Dieting and binge-eating is common among male and female college students regardless of their weight
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Between 1 – 3.6% of males and 4 – 13.5% of female students are estimated to have full-blown eating disorders
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There is reason to believe that these issues are worsened by academic and vocational pressure
Many students whether they have eating disorders or less severe issues with eating and body image keep their problems secret, fearing that they will be seen as weak or incompetent by their friends and college staff. Others remain quiet because they don’t think their concerns are serious enough to seek support or help – after all, isn’t everyone unhappy with their body?
In a sense, the answer is yes – because no body is perfect, few people are entirely satisfied by how they look. However, when that dissatisfaction and your efforts to fix it begin to interfere with your mood, your social and family life, or your ability to concentrate and engage in your studies, and you’re finding that it takes up more and more of your energy, it’s time to seek assistance Let’s get something straight: Dieting and body dissatisfaction are risk factors for developing an eating disorder. However, eating disorders are not really about food or weight, but about feelings. They’re a way of trying to take control or manage your life and your emotions when you feel stressed, unhappy, overwhelmed, powerless or lost. Therefore, talking about what’s really going on is essential.
Dieting and body dissatisfaction are risk factors for developing an eating disorder
www.ProYouth.eu is one place where you can open up about your worries without fear of judgement. Pro Youth is a project offering anonymous support for students who struggle with body image or worry about their relationship with food. It is a Europe-wide initiative, and in Ireland, all 3rd level students can join. Since its launch, over 1,000 students around the country have completed online eating disorder screenings, and hundreds are active in the ProYouth community.
All activities on the site offer help for people in distress. On the message boards, other students and trained student moderators listen and respond to posts in a non-judgemental fashion. It is a site that does not put you under pressure as it does not force a response – discussions develop on the message board so a user can read what others wrote as some people may be dealing with similar things. It has online qualified counsellors offering anonymous online chats 1:1 and in groups. There is information in the articles and blog on the site: Facts about eating disorders, ways to prevent them and self-help. You can also fill out questionnaires that help identify key triggers and make you aware of your own risk of developing an eating disorder.
help users get to a place where they themselves can move forward with their life
The moderators of the message board are students themselves. One moderator, David, said: “All moderators ensure that the forums remain a safe and supportive space for the programme users to explore their feeling around body image, self-esteem, eating distress and eating disorders… help users get to a place where they themselves can move forward with their life. Proyouth is a step in the right direction and really helps you to live your own life and not compare yourself to everyone else.”
David explains that being a moderator has its own benefits, in terms of gaining experience of supporting others, and being in a body positive environment: “The volunteering has helped me in my life massively… It gave me more responsibility and offered greater familiarity with how what we hear and see can impact on how we live our life. This in turn helped me develop healthier lifestyle and recognise red flags that can alter your perception and take you away from people and things that matter.”
If you’re wondering if your relationship to food or your body is becoming problematic, and you’d like to find out or get support to get through it, or if you think becoming a moderator might be for you, you can sign up anonymously on www.proyouth.eu.
