About one in eight college students has an eating disorder of some sort, Ball State University counselor Kasee Matters said. Apply this statistic to our campus and that would translate to more than 2,000 students. Thousands more are affected, having friends or family members with eating disorders.
Sometimes we have to find a way to approach a friend about a potential problem.
Before bringing up a concern, look for warning signs. These can include being preoccupied with food intake, always dieting, exercising compulsively and eating alone, according to helpguide.org, the Web site of a non-profit organization that provides resources to friends and family members about a wide range of diseases and is led by a board of academics and doctors.
When (or if) you do decide to approach your friend, this is obviously an issue to tread lightly around. Helpguide.org suggests you "avoid placing shame, blame, or guilt."
Also be sure not to make less of the situation by offering simple solutions. Your friend is sick and needs help finding a way to get past the sickness. Be sensitive and stay away from insisting that if they'd just eat, the problem would go away.
The most important way to assist someone with an eating disorder make them see the need to get medical assistance. One way to do this, according to helpguide.org, is to suggest getting a regular physical to confirm there's not a problem. If there is a problem, it should show up in the physical process and can be dealt with at that point by the medical professional.
The longer someone with an eating disorder goes without medical attention, the more difficult it becomes to reverse the ill effects the sickness has caused.
If someone you care about seems to be suffering from an eating disorder, find a way to approach them. Without a change, irreparable damages will consume your loved one. Be strong for them and help a change begin.
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