Eating Disorders at BYU

[Damasta]

I was a little discouraged with Saint Sebastienne's answer.

Not only am I sure that more than 9–11% of students at BYU have eating disorders, I am sure that the rates are equal to (if not much higher) than those of other universities. At least 75% of women in the U.S. have very disordered and unhealthy thinking towards food and body image.

What makes her so sure? She didn't say. That was the discouraging part. Given her un-sourced statement (which most will probably assume is based on personal observation, which could be skewed by the composition of her social network), I'm more inclined to believe the results of the graduate students' studies and the CCC. And it doesn't help that what the CCC reports (eating disorders) and what she reports (disordered and unhealthy thinking towards food and body image) aren't synonymous.

Here's another:

While some research shows that BYU may have lower rates of eating disorders, BYU students and health care professionals tend to strongly disagree. Many believe BYU has a drastically higher rate of eating disorders--in part due to the culture.

Are these based on studies, too? Or just more (possibly biased, skewed, and/or unfounded) personal opinions? Which health care professionals are these? Probably no one at the CCC, or else the CCC's numbers would be different.

I'm not necessarily saying that she's wrong. But given the unverifiability of her statements, I see no reason to believe that she's right.

[Unit of Energy]

Based on some of the information I picked up on campus one day, I apparently have an eating disorder. If you don't eat more than one meal a day you have an eating disorder (per the flier I picked up at the booth for the fed up with food support group). I don't fully agree since my reasons for not eating are vastly different than the stereotypical eating disorder reason.

[Damasta]

Based on some of the information I picked up on campus one day, I apparently have an eating disorder. If you don't eat more than one meal a day you have an eating disorder (per the flier I picked up at the booth for the fed up with food support group). I don't fully agree since my reasons for not eating are vastly different than the stereotypical eating disorder reason.

Yeah, sometimes I'm so busy working in my research lab that I forget to eat the Pop-Tart in my coat pocket and forget lunch, too. But if there's free food somewhere, I'll totally go get some, no matter when it is. My wife tells me that inconsistent eating, like that, puts me at higher risk for Type II Diabetes. So she's been working on reminding me to eat. And sometimes I set an alarm on my phone to remind me.

[TheBlackSheep]

Well, first of all, not to do any armchair diagnosing, but you're right, Unit of Energy, to doubt what you read on that flier. Fliers and organizations like that one, bless them, are trying to bring people out of denial and loneliness. They meant that remark to be read by people whose attitude is, "I don't have an eating disorder! I eat! Hundreds of calories, even!" to try to smack some sense into them. However, how many meals you eat daily isn't by itself diagnostically relevant for eating disorders. For anorexia, you must be below 85% of your expected body weight, skip at least three periods, and have an intense fear of gaining weight. For bulimia, you have to practice unsafe compensatory behaviors to get rid of calories after a binge (and, by the way, you have to BINGE). There aren't very specific requirements for EDNOS, but there's no way you'd get diagnosed without some really unhealthy fears or attitudes about weight or eating. The fact that you only eat a certain number of calories isn't going to get you anywhere, diagnostically speaking.

And I think Saint Sebastienne is probably right about there being more students with eating disorders than the CCC statistic suggests. Professionals at the CCC can only talk about the cases they see, and, like it or not, there's still a huge stigma associated with counseling in Mormon culture. Nothing quite like a year as an RA, writing for the Board, and being mentally ill to convince you of that. And I don't know if I trust a couple of longitudinal studies about attitudes that much, not that there's anything scientific or conclusive about that. But in that <i>DU</i> article even the CCC professionals were careful to say that studies SUGGEST that there MAY be fewer cases of eating disorders at BYU, and many students shared Saint Sebastienne's opinion.

[NerdGirl]

And I think Saint Sebastienne is probably right about there being more students with eating disorders than the CCC statistic suggests. Professionals at the CCC can only talk about the cases they see, and, like it or not, there's still a huge stigma associated with counseling in Mormon culture. Nothing quite like a year as an RA, writing for the Board, and being mentally ill to convince you of that. And I don't know if I trust a couple of longitudinal studies about attitudes that much, not that there's anything scientific or conclusive about that. But in that <i>DU</i> article even the CCC professionals were careful to say that studies SUGGEST that there MAY be fewer cases of eating disorders at BYU, and many students shared Saint Sebastienne's opinion.

Yeah, after my year as an RA, I am also inclined to agree with that.

Also, hi The Black Sheep! Very good to see you on here.

[mic0]

I agree with most of the things that have been said about E.D. The only thing is I would have to say that the stigma attached to seeing a counselor is not only within Mormon culture. Growing up in a very not-LDS town it was clear that going to counseling has a stigma to almost any person who doesn't really get it, or doesn't have a connection.

I know, irrelevant.