Colorado State University Health Network Offers Online Screening for Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders Awareness Week is Feb. 25-March 1.

Eating disorders are more prevalent on college campuses than many people realize. In fact, 95 percent of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. Twenty-five percent of college-aged women report engaging in bingeing and purging as a weight-management technique. And college males are not immune. Increasingly, men are feeling the pressure for physical perfection that can lead to excessive exercise and fixation on low body-fat percentage.

The most common behavior that leads to an eating disorder is dieting. More than two-thirds of American women are dissatisfied with their bodies and, on college campuses, 60 percent to 90 percent of women are dieting or trying to lose weight, according to the National Eating Disorders Association. Thirty-five percent of “normal dieters” progress to pathological dieting. These unhealthy habits can be difficult to recognize, but over time, can develop into an eating disorder.

For those who need help approaching meals with a healthy mindset, CSU Health Network Counseling Services now offers an anonymous screening tool for eating disorders, available online at http://mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/COLORADO. The screening is intended to help direct students to the appropriate care they need.

The CSU Health Network Counseling Services can be reached at (970) 491-6053 and Medical Services, which includes a nutritionist, may be reached at (970) 491-7121.

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