Vicky Smith
Managing Editor
@pinkwritinglady
The week of Feb. 21 is National Eating Disorders Awareness Week.
Professor of Sports and Exercise Science Dr. Natalya Nikitina-Helvey said according to the South Carolina Department of Health, it is estimated that seven million women and one million men have an eating disorder, totaling eight million Americans.
Nikitina-Helvey said we need to have a conversation about eating disorders because they have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness.
“I believe we need to talk about eating disorders and suicide rates and how can we provide avenues for people to receive help without being stigmatized,” she said.
“Almost 50 percent of people with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression, and only one in ten men and women with eating disorders receive treatment.”
She said it is important to differentiate among the eating disorders, the major ones being anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder.
“[They] are types of eating disorders that include extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues,” she said.
“According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), people with anorexia nervosa may see themselves as overweight, even when they are dangerously underweight.”
Nikitina-Helvey said NIMH reported that people with bulimia nervosa feel a lack of control over episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food, then they try to vomit, take laxatives or excessively exercise, among other behaviors.
She said unlike bulimia nervosa, people with binge-eating disorder do not engage in these behaviors, so most people with the disorder are overweight or obese.
“Binge-eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the U.S.,” Nikitina Helvey said.
She said eating disorders do not have a single cause; instead, many factors contribute to their development, including culture, personal characteristics, emotional disorders and biology.
“It is important to recognize that you might be developing eating disorder,” she said. “Try to combat it earlier by eating nutritious meals [and] eating frequently. Include healthy snacks that you like. Establish a healthy weight.”
Nikitina-Helvey said the majority of people with eating disorders have a distorted body image, meaning that they have a fear of gaining weight or thinking their bodies are fat.
“It can also cause someone to not act like her[self] or himself,” she said. “She or he may be moody or sad, or may not want to go out with friends.
“Also just take a look at your friend. Does her skin look dry and discolored? Does she have sores around her mouth? Broken blood vessels under the eyes? Erosion of tooth enamel? All those are visual signs that your friend might be having an eating disorder. Don’t ignore it.”
Nikitina-Helvey said although she believes eating disorders on college campuses are prevalent, it is often undiagnosed. She said statistics by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders report that 91% of women on college campus attempted to control their weight through dieting.
“Being the NCAA collegiate coach for ten years,” Nikitina-Helvey said, “I can tell that disordered eating can be prevalent in people that already look in shape – in our student-athletes, specifically in female athletes.
“Many athletes restrict their energy intakes to improve performance, meet weight guidelines of their specific sport or to enhance appearance, and I hope they can understand that such behaviors only impairs their physical performance.”
Nikitina-Helvey said students who have eating disorders should not isolate themselves from others. Instead, they should seek treatment by reaching out to family, physicians and psychiatrists.
“Talk to your friends,” she said. “Don’t keep it inside. If you feel like you need help dealing with distorted eating, come talk to the dietitian or visit Cameron University Wellness Center.
“You can contact Sports & Exercise Science Department, and our lab technicians and instructors can do an assessment by using the latest technology BodPod to provide you with the exact information about your body composition and tips how to get healthier and lose weight.”
She said when helping a friend who has an eating disorder, we should avoid the victim-blaming approach.
“We fail to see that eating disorders are mental disorders,” she said. “Often people need more help than just their own desire to modify their behavior. I believe, as with many issues in our society, the victim-blaming approach is utilized a lot instead of providing a person with the resources for treatment and recovery.”
Nikitina-Helvey said one way students can combat eating disorders is to look critically at images from the media and understand that they are not real.
“I think it is so important to value ourselves based on our goals, talents and strengths rather than our body shape or weight,” she said. “You and your life are real. Your body is a temple, and you need to cherish it.”
According to Nikitina-Helvey, another way students can strive to prevent eating disorders is to surround themselves with positive influences.
“Very often we turn to food for comfort when we are dealing with anger, disappointment [and] stress,” she said. “Maybe if we surround ourselves with the right people, we can utilize other channels, such as exercise and healthy snacking.”
Nikitina-Helvey said students can further educate themselves about eating disorders by visiting www.nationaleatingdisorders.org. To read stories of recovery, students can visit http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/stories-of-hope.