Faculty discuss eating disorders

Eight million Americans suffer from eating disorders, 90 percent of them young women, according to Associate Professor of Psychology Lori Mills. Four and a half percent of females and .4 percent of males report bulimia in the first year of college.

Milligan keeps no record of how many students have been treated for eating disorders. However, according to Associate Professor of Psychology John Paul Abner, Milligan students are at a higher risk for developing eating disorders because the college is residential and the students often come from middle to upper-middle class families.

“I would assume there are a number of students on campus with eating disorders who have not talked with anyone about it,” Abner said.

Milligan offers no direct treatment for eating disorders but provides short-term individual counseling and referral to outside clinics that specialize in eating disorders.

“Eating disorders, if not taken care of, are terminal,” said Professor of Psychology Bert Allen. “Once the eating disorder is discovered, we need to refer it to a larger, multidisciplinary team.”

“I think the best step is talking to the nurse or one of the counselors to see what referral options there are,” Mills said.

After receiving treatment for an eating disorder, it is vital to be aware of any negative behavior or eating habits that reappear.

“Have a therapist or physician that you can check-in with in case you start to see danger signs,” Mills said.

According to Mills, danger signs include counting calories or carbohydrates obsessively, weighing oneself often, finding excuses to avoid eating, being secretive, withdrawing from others and depression or anxiety.

When interacting with people who have eating disorders, it is important to not place a lot of emphasis on food, said Abner. Those suffering from eating disorders should remain active in social or religious groups.

“Love and fellowship are always very positive things for someone undergoing any type of mental illness,” Abner said.

“Eating disorders are serious emotional and physical problems that can have life-threatening consequences for males and females,” said Milligan’s campus nurse Shannon Rowe said.
Frontier Health is providing an eating disorder workshop Feb. 27 in the Holiday Inn Conference Center.

“Seek help,” Allen said. “It’s not a do-it-yourself project."