National Eating Disorder
Awareness Month
The Counseling Center
Purdue University Calumet
Gyte Room 05
(219) 989-2366
www.purduecal.edu/counseling
Eating disorders in the
United States
Eating Disorder Statistics
O As many as 20 million women and 10
million men experience an eating disorder
at some point in their lives (Wade, KelskiRahkonen, & Hudson, 2011)
O The average age that eating disorders
begin:
O Anorexia Nervosa: 19 years old
O Bulimia Nervosa: 20 years old
O Binge Eating Disorder: 25 years old
(Hudson, Hiripi, Pope, & Kessler, 2007)
What causes the
development of an eating
disorder?
There is no “one cause” of eating
disorders. Eating disorders may develop
as the result of a combination of biological,
psychological, social, and familial issues.
Types of eating disorders
O Anorexia Nervosa
O Bulimia Nervosa
O Eating Disorders Not Otherwise
Specified (EDNOS)
O Includes Binge-Eating Disorder
Anorexia Nervosa
Symptoms:
O Not maintaining body weight at, or above, a
minimally normal weight level based on age and
height
O Having an intense fear of weight gain, even when
underweight
O Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight
or shape is experienced, undue influence of body
weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the
seriousness of the current low body weight
O For post-pubescent females, the absence of at least
three consecutive menstrual cycles
(American Psychiatric Association, 2000)
Bulimia Nervosa
Symptoms:
O Binge eating, which consists of the following:
In a specific period of time, eating substantially more food
than others in a similar period time, and under similar
circumstances, would eat
O Feeling no control, or a lack of control, of the binge eating
session
O
O Engaging in behaviors in order to prevent weight gain
O These behaviors may include self-induced vomiting,
excessive exercise, or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics,
and/or enemas
O The binge eating and inappropriate behaviors occur at
least twice a week for 3 months
O Overly concerned with how one’s body shape and weight
affects self-worth
(American Psychiatric Association, 2000)
Eating Disorders Not
Otherwise Specified (NOS)
Eating Disorder NOS has a combination of symptoms
from the category of eating disorders, but does not
meet the criteria of a specific eating disorder.
Binge-Eating Disorder has similar symptoms to Bulimia Nervosa (e.g.
eating large amounts of food in short time periods and feeling a lack of
control when eating). Individuals suffering from this disorder will exhibit
three or more of the following:
O Eating more rapidly than normal
O Eating until physically uncomfortable
O Eating when not hungry
O Eating alone because of embarrassment
O Feeling disgusted, depressed or guilty after overeating
Individuals with Binge-Eating Disorder do not engage in behaviors to
prevent weight gain, such as fasting, dieting, excessive exercise, using
laxatives, etc.
(American Psychiatric Association, 2000)
Society and culture
Media in today’s society is filled with
images which skew the definition of a
“healthy” body.
O In various studies, girls and boys as young as 4
and 5 years old recognized that the unhealthy
images of thinness in mass media are
portrayed as ideal (as cited in Levine &
Murnen, 2009).
The meaning of body image
The meaning of “body image” varies for every
individual. In publications by Levine and
Smolak, (2006) females interpret body image
as being influenced by multiple components.
These include the following beliefs:
O Being slender is idealized in society,
O One should fear being fat, and
O A person’s weight and shape greatly
influence their overall identity as cited in
Levine & Murnen, (2009)
Men also suffer from eating
disorders
Although more women than men suffer
from eating disorders, men may also fall
victim to the symptoms of these disorders.
CBS News Video
Preventing eating disorders
Effective prevention of eating disorders should
address the following:
O Learning how to live a healthy lifestyle through
nutritious eating and physical activity
O Understanding that self-worth is not purely
defined by physical appearance
O Challenging society’s misleading messages
about beauty
O Developing realistic expectations of self and
body image
O Accepting one’s physical characteristics
Calculate your Body Mass
Index (BMI)
O Body Mass Index (BMI) is the measure of body
fat based on a person’s height and weight.
O
O
O
O
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5–24.9
Overweight = 25–29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
O BMI can be used for both men and women.
O Be aware that the BMI scale may overestimate
body fat in athletes and those who have a
muscular build, and may underestimate body fat
in older persons.
O Calculate your BMI.
Eating Disorder screening
Stop by the PUC Counseling Center
for a confidential eating disorder
screening at no additional cost for
currently enrolled students.
For a free and confidential online eating disorder
screening, visit the Screening for Mental Health,
Inc. Online Screening Program. From here click on
Screening Locator to choose your state and
university.
Get help today
National Eating Disorders Association
(NEDA) Information and Referral Helpline
O Phone: 1-800-931-2237
O Website
O Additional information about eating
disorders
Eating Disorders Anonymous (EDA)
O E-mail
O Website
O Facebook
Additional Information
ULifeline. ULifeline provides a quick (5-10 min)
mental health screener, as well as information on other
topics concerning mental health and suicide
prevention.
ULifeline through the Counseling Center website.
Half of us. Half of us is a resource center that provides
information on a variety of issues such as depression,
bipolar disorder, suicide, eating disorders, anxiety
disorders, stress and alcohol/drugs.
Half of us website.
Counseling Services
The Purdue University Calumet Counseling Center
is located in the Gyte Room 05. Personal counseling
is offered to currently enrolled students, at no
additional fee and is confidential as established by
law. To set up an appointment or for additional
information, please contact the PUC Counseling
Center at
(219) 989-2366. You may also visit our website.
Spring 2013 Office Hours
Monday – Thursday
8:00am to 5:00pm
Friday
8:00am to 4:00pm
Promote Awareness
O Everybody knows somebody who has
been affected by an eating disorder, or
has struggled with body image
expectations.
O Visit National Eating Disorders and
NEDAwareness for more information.
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders: DSM-IV-TR (4th ed., text rev.). Washington, DC: Author.
Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope, H. G., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The prevalence and
correlates of eating disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication.
Biological Psychiatry, 61, 348-358.
Levine, M. P. & Harrison, K. (2004). The role of mass media in the perpetuation and
prevention of negative body image and disordered eating. In J. K. Thompson (Ed.),
Handbook of eating disorders & obesity (pp. 695-717). New York: Wiley.
Levine, M. P., & Murnen, S. K. (2009). Everybody knows that mass media are/are not
[pick one] a cause of eating disorders”: A critical review of evidence for a causal
link between media, negative body image, and disordered eating in females.
Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 28, 9-42.
Levine, M. P., & Smolak, L. (2006). The prevention of eating problems and eating
disorders: Theory, research, and practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
Associates.
National Eating Disorders Association. (2005). Statistics: Eating disorders and their
precursors. Retrieved from National Eating Disorders.org PDF.
Smolak, L., & Levine, M. P. (1994). Critical issues in the developmental
psychopathology of eating disorders. In L. Alexander & B. Lumsden (Eds.),
Understanding eating disorders (pp. 37-60). Washington, DC: Taylor & Francis.
Smolak, L., & Levine, M. P. (1996). Adolescents’ transitions and the development of
eating problems. In L. Smolak, M. P. Levine, & R. Striegel-Moore (Eds.), The
psychopathology of eating disorders: Implications for research, prevention, and
treatment (pp. 207-234). Mahwah NJ: Erlbaum.
References (cont.)
Smolak, L., & Murnen, S. K. (2004). A feminist approach to eating disorders. In J.K.
Thompson (Ed.), Handbook of eating disorders and obesity (pp. 590-605). New
York: Wiley.
Smolak, L., & Murnen, S. K. (2007). Feminism and body image. In V. Swami & A.
Furnham (Eds.), The body beautiful: Evolutionary and socio-cultural perspectives
(pp. 236-258). London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Wade, T. D., Kelski-Rahkonen, A., & Hudson, J. (2011). Epidemiology of eating
disorders. In M. Tsuang and M. Tohen (Eds.), Textbook in Psychiatric Epidemiology
(3rd ed.) (pp. 343-360). New York: Wiley.