A Response Team Guide
to
Eating Disorders and Body Image Concerns
Introduction and Purpose
The purpose of this guide, developed by the George Mason University Eating Disorders and Body Image Concerns Task Force, is to give a brief overview of eating disorders as they pertain to college students. This guide is designed for use as a resource in understanding eating disorders, identifying "problem behavior," and if necessary making a referral. This guide contains facts about eating disorders and body image, information on how to make a referral (local, regional, and national resources), and supplemental handouts.

Eating & Body Image Quick Assessment

Please check if the statementis true or mostly true for you.

Emotional Well-Being
 1. I find myself feeling depressed easily.
 2. I am very tense when it comes to food and eating.
 3. I am anxious about how people perceive and judge me.
 4. My self-esteem is based mostly on my weight and appearance.
 5. Being dissatisfied with my weight, I am moody and easily irritated.

Eating Behaviors
 6. I try very hard to control my eating.
 7. I skip meals.
 8. I am constantly on a "diet" to lose weight or gain weight.
 9. I eat to make myself feel better.
 10. I am willing to try any method that will help change my weight.
 11. Sometimes I eat more than I should and cannot control my eating.

Physical Health
 12. I get tired easily.
 13. (For women only) My periods have not been regular.
 14. I have stomach aches and/or digestive problems.
 15. I have headaches and body aches.
 16. I take supplements for weight management.
17.In spite of undesirable side effects, such as moodiness and fatigue, I continue to use supplements or cannot take myself off of a strict diet..

Physical Appearance
 18. I am dissatisfied with my body size and shape.
 19. I have no confidence in how I look.
 20. I wish I could change some parts of my body.
21. I don't see myself physically as attractive as others.

Physical Activities
 22. When I exercise, all I can think about is either losing weight (women) or bulking up (men).
 23. I have to work out a lot in order to feel in control of my weight.
 24. I avoid social gatherings when I don't feel good about my body and myself.

Weight
 25. I feel frightened at the thought of gaining weight.
 26. I am unhappy with my current weight.
 27. I want to significantly change my weight.
 28. My weight has not been stable.

Academic Concerns
29. I am preoccupied with thoughts of food and thus find it very hard to concentrate on school work.
 30. I get tired easily and do not have the energy needed for school/work.
 31. I worry about getting less than perfect grades.

This questionnaire is not intended to be used for diagnostic purposes. If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may from having nore information on health, body image, an/or having a chance to talk with a qualified professional. for free information, assessments, and consultation and referrals contact: Counseling Center, SUB I, Room 364, (703) 993-2380; Health Education Services, SUB I, Room 219C, (703) 993-3690; or Student Health Services, SUB I, Room 214, (703) 993-2831.

The Problem

Across the U.S. today, millions of young women and men will start their mornings on the bathroom scale. They will skip breakfast to avoid calories and spend most of the day preoccupied with negative thoughts about food and their bodies. Others will overeat or engage in compulsive exercise regimens to obtain the "ideal body". Conservative estimates indicate that 5 to 10% of all teenage girls and women suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and binge eating. Many more girls and women suffer from unhealthy eating behavior and negative body image. Anorexia among men is on the rise. As many as 25% of binge eaters are male. Men are also more likely than women to suffer from excessive exercising. Unfortunately, college campuses can be breeding grounds for eating problems, as they often promote distorted ideals of beauty at a time when women and men are vulnerable to the pressures of success and acceptance. College women 18 to 22 years old have higher rates of bulimia than other women who are younger, not in college, or over 22.
For More Information

Positive Body Image Awareness Week. Check out the schedule of events.

What is Normal?
What is Not?

It is hard to go through one day in the U.S. without hearing someone talk about fat grams, working out, or comparing body types. With almost 50% of American women and 25% of American men on diets, how can one tell what's normal and what's cause for concern? Here are some distinctions between normal and problematic concerns.

Normal body-image
and eating concerns:
  • Interest in improving physical appearance, health, and overall wellness
  • Enthusiasm about a new fitness or healthy eating plan
  • Focus on body image, while maintaining a reasonable level of self-acceptance
  • Pursuit of a challenging physical training program that incorporates good nutrition and balance
Problematic body-image
and eating concerns:
  • Singular focus on weight loss or obsession with restrictive (yo-yo) dieting
  • Punitive approach to body image which includes self-denigrating comments and/or excessive exercise or purging after eating
  • Working out to lose weight without regard for health and nutritional needs
  • Self-worth based entirely on body image
  • Compulsive, rigid or inflexible approach to a diet/exercise routine.

Local Phone Numbers to Keep Handy

For more information about eating concerns,
check out the links at www.bulimia.com

Learn more about the myths and facts of Eating

www.Edreferral.com

www.Nationaleatingdisorder.org

For further information on the George Mason University Eating Disorders and Body Image Concerns Task Force or this guide, please contact Dr. Joan Mizrahi, Counseling Center, at (703) 993-2830.

Prepared by the Eating Disorders and Body Image Concerns Task Force, George Mason University, February 2004, updated February 2, 2007.