Reaching out to victims of eating disorders

National Eating Disorders Week (NEDW), observed this year from Sun., Feb. 25 to Sun., Mar. 4, is a an effort to raise awareness about various eating disorders that plague the U.S. population.

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that eating disorders affect over five million Americans. It was estimated that perhaps as many as one in 10 college-age women suffer from an eating disorder, making them one of the most at-risk groups for conditions such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

COURTESY OFFICE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS Kelly Brownell discussed the causes and effects of eating disorders at Yale as part of National Eating Disorders Week.

The Herald sat down on Tues., Feb. 27 with Professor Kelly Brownell, director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders and former Master of Silliman, to discuss the impact of eating disorders on Yale students.

Yale Herald: How prevalent are eating disorders at Yale?

Kelly Brownell: Yale, like any other college, has a problem with eating disorders, and the occurrence of problems is increasing. It's an interesting question, whether people at Yale would have more or fewer problems than people at other universities. We don't know the answer. We do know that the problems are especially pronounced in women, and in fact, women at Yale say the problem may very well be worse for them. Females are a highly achievement-oriented group that are used to succeeding and want to be good at everything, including the way they look.

YH: Is the effect less pronounced for males?

KB: We know less about males. They haven't been studied nearly as much as females. Males at Yale do have the same achievement orientation as females, and there is also increasing pressure on males to have a certain physical look.

YH: Along those lines, what are some of the societal pressures that contribute to eating disorders in the population at large?

KB: Over a relatively short period of years, the pressure to achieve a certain look has increased dramatically. Think, for example, of all the abdominal exercise machines on the market today. There's an entire industry devoted to telling people to shape up a six-square-inch part of the body. No longer is it good enough to be thin or even muscular—one must fine-tune oneself with a microscope over one's entire body. Words that are now part of our common vocabulary—abs, delts, pecs—were never a part of our language until recently. So people are bombarded by messages that say they should look different, that if they would only try hard enough they could look different, and that if they don't have the perfect body, then there's something wrong. An imperfect body is thought to reflect an imperfect person in our society.

YH: On the other end of the eating disorders spectrum, is obesity a problem at Yale?

KB: Well, obesity is a massive problem nationally. The prevalence of that disorder increases as age goes up. You see less of it in young people than in older adults. But just like the rest of society, there are problems with obesity at Yale, too. In some ways, we're a nation out of control with our eating. At the same time that we have record levels of eating disorders, we also have record levels of obesity, [so] very few people are truly satisfied with their body. And again, for many, poor body image translates to poor self-image. American culture places too much importance on appearance. We're told we should look a certain way, we hold out unrealistic ideals, and when we don't attain them, we're told we should feel bad because personal appearance is a reflection of who we are. Take Yale women for example. It's a horrendous shame that you have the most talented young intellects in the country, people with a very bright future, who have been trained by society to dislike the way they look.

YH: What resources are available to Yalies?

KB: There are essentially three places that people can go to look for help. There's Yale University Health Services, which is often the default help people get since most people go there first and it doesn't cost anything. Then there's also the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders, which is where I work. We provide specialty help—that is, we specialize in the treatment of specific eating disorders, and we're completely up-to-date on new discoveries. There are also some private practitioners in the community. I would recommend that people with an eating disorder see someone who specializes in the field. Otherwise, they'll end up getting general help, which has proven to be less effective than specialized treatment. The good news, though, is that help is available, and it works. Eating disorders are fortunately among those problems that can respond to treatment. For many people with an eating disorder, successful treatment will end up lifting a huge burden in their lives.

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