Both of these disorders are very common among college age women. Bulimia is the more common disorder. Many of the people with these disorders are reluctant to admit they have a problem and seek help on their own. They often come to the attention of their friends and family when they experience a dramatic weight loss and the only way that they will get help is if they are forced into a treatment center by a loved one. There are several causes to eating disorders. Often, personal trauma can lead to obsessive dieting. “I have friends that when something went wrong with a relationship, they stopped eating. They didn’t realize they were losing weight; they didn’t think they were skinny enough,” says Andrea Boyer, a sophomore at PSU. “ Some are still struggling with their disorders now even though the relationship is over,” she adds. Another aspect in the college student’s life that could lead to an eating disorder is the media. MTV hosts a massive spring break party in Cancun, Mexico every year. All of the best looking college students attend and run around on the beach in their bikinis and swim trunks for a few weeks. It is the party of the year. It is the place to be. However, in order to get on camera or to participate in any of the activities sponsored by MTV, one must have the perfect body. Achieving this perfect body becomes an obsession and students will do anything to attain it. They will starve themselves, take diet pills, work out for several hours a day, etc.College life can be very stressful. One can easily feel as if they have no control over their life. With the stress of term papers and exams, relationships and finances it can be easy to fall apart. Some students feel as if the only thing they can control in their life is diet. If this becomes the only thing a person feels like they can control, they have a tendency to put themselves on a very strict diet. This d...
