We can all relate to having that one person or thing that we don’t want to run into. Maybe it is a situationship who ghosted you or an ex-best friend you run into an unnerving number of times for a campus this size.
Sometimes all it takes is avoiding frat row on a Friday night and the Recwell midday to escape these painstakingly awkward interactions. Other times, these encounters are unavoidable. For some, it involves the very food that keeps them alive.
About 20% of university undergraduate students worldwide exhibit disordered eating behaviors. Adjusting to a new environment with complete freedom over eating choices can feel overwhelming for some people and can lead to challenging thoughts and behaviors around food, body image and exercise.
All this can be exhausting and isolating for students, especially in a culture where social interactions often revolve around food.
It is important to understand and recognize warning signs that you or someone you care about is struggling. It’s also helpful to know the campus resources for getting help as well as coping strategies to make it through hard times. After all, no one wants a negative relationship with the thing that sustains them.
Warning signs you might need help
An unhealthy relationship with food shows up differently for every person and should not be self-diagnosed. However, students should be aware of some common warning signs that can signal deeper issues with food.
Skipping meals: Many college students are tempted to skip meals so they can make it to an early class or run to back-to-back commitments. Boynton Health Dietitian Katie Kasner said irregular eating in response to chaotic schedules is one of the biggest challenges she sees with her clients. It often backfires for students, she added.
For some students, it’s easy to fix these irregular eating patterns. For others, including student athletes or those who are neurodiverse, it is more complex, said Registered Dietitian and Clinical Assistant Professor Aimee Tritt.
Student athletes and those who exercise intensively may encounter specific warning signs, such as loss of menstruation in individuals with uteruses, signaling malnutrition — a serious issue often overlooked in athletic circles but one that can lead to lasting effects like bone density loss and iron deficiency, according to Tritt.
For neurodiverse individuals, challenges around food may appear as stress around eating, a narrow range of accepted foods or sensory issues with food, Tritt said. College dining halls can elevate these issues, causing sensory overload and overstimulation, making it difficult to engage hunger-fullness cues.
Body comparisons with peers: College can also amplify body image issues as students find themselves in a new environment where they’re constantly surrounded by peers and exposed to social pressures that encourage comparison.
Body image hyper-fixations may begin as innocent interests in learning more about nutrition but can quickly escalate into actions to “fix” one’s body and feel more in control. This can include spending excessive time thinking about calories and food, which can indicate disordered eating, Tritt said.
For third-year student Stephanie, the environment of college and the pressures of dorm life were damaging to both her body image and eating disorder recovery.
“Something about being surrounded by so many teenage girls your age who don’t look like you is really triggering,” Stephanie said.
Where to get help on campus
Boynton Health offers various services to support students with nutrition and disordered eating concerns. Students can self-refer or receive a referral from primary care or mental health services at Boynton for nutrition counseling, Kasner said.
Dietitians are available to help meal-plan, navigate dietary challenges and manage symptoms. If eating concerns go beyond primary care, Boynton may refer students to specialty services off-campus, such as the Emily Program or Melrose Center, which both specialize in eating disorder treatment.
The University’s Office of Student Affairs offers student counseling services including workshops and student support groups. One option is the “Inner Balance Workshop: Tools for Balanced Living,” which teaches students healthy coping strategies and therapy skills.
Boynton Health bills services through students’ health insurance, and any remaining costs are often covered by the student services fee for undergraduates and some graduate students.
Off-campus treatment centers like the Melrose Center may also be accessible to students at reduced costs, thanks to financial aid options such as the Edelstein Family Foundation grant. Many insurance plans cover dietitian visits as preventive care, meaning students may have no out-of-pocket costs, Tritt said.
If you aren’t ready for professional help
When dealing with such a sensitive situation, taking steps toward change can feel intimidating or unrealistic. For students who may not feel ready or inclined to seek therapy or professional help, there are practical coping strategies and practices to support a healthier relationship with food and one’s body.
Set realistic goals: Kasner said it is important to find a balance between what is easiest to do and what is most ideal, then meet somewhere in the middle. Balance isn’t achieved overnight, she said — it’s a gradual process to work toward, and for some, this path toward balance might include options like meal-replacement shakes, and that’s OK.
Consider broader food choices: Convenience foods exist for a reason, Tritt said, and criticism of those overlooks the nuance that many people have trouble preparing their meals. On balance, eating enough is more important than whether a food is processed.
Seek self-guided resources: Online workbooks, podcasts and other media can help people explore disordered eating concepts. Some credible sources that provide science-backed content include the National Eating Disorder Association, Project HEAL, Equip and Alsana, Tritt said.
Learn your eating environment: Working toward the goal of mindful eating can require someone to pay attention to their body and engage their hunger and satiety, which can become especially difficult for those with sensory concerns, Tritt said. In these situations, coping mechanisms vary among people. Some enjoy eating alone with no distractions. Others like going to the dining hall at a specific time or listening to music while eating to create a distraction.
If adding something new to your routine feels overwhelming, it can sometimes be easier to start by removing elements that negatively impact your self-esteem. This can be as simple as paying attention to how you feel after using social media, Tritt said. If you often feel worse, try curating your feed by unfollowing anything that doesn’t support your well-being. Find what works for you.
For fourth-year student Patricia, learning to differentiate her eating-disordered thoughts from her authentic self was a key step in her recovery.
“Separating the eating disorder from the person was really helpful for me at the start,” Patricia said. “And as far away as recovery feels, there’s always going to be a light at the end of the tunnel. People have done it before, so you can too.”
