For most students, starting their first year at university can be a new and exciting experience, but for some the pressure to adapt quickly can lead to serious eating disorders, experts warn.
According to Sally Willis-Stewart, who runs the Nutrition Education Centre at UBC Okanagan (UBCO), coping with the stress of life on campus, for new students in particular, often triggers eating disorders.
“When young students are transitioning into the university environment it is extremely stressful and competitive,” said Willis-Stewart. “And unfortunately, one of the ways students try to cope manifests in an eating disorder along with many other mental issues.”
One out of five Canadian youth aged 16–25 will grapple with an eating disorder such as anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating at some stage. Of those, four out of five are young women.
Willis-Stewart, a professor with the department of Health and Social Development at UBCO who has done extensive research on the illness, said exact numbers for students are hard to come by because those who suffer from eating disorders often conceal it due to the stigma surrounding it.
Because of the stigma, the numbers of those affected could be even higher, she said.
“But no matter what the number is, even if it was small, they need help. It’s sad. And whatever we do, if it can even save one or two students, then it’s absolutely worth it.”
