Perspectives of College Students about the Risk of Eating Disorders

Abstract

Although eating disorders can occur in teenagers and young children, the risk of developing the disease increases during college years. About 95% of eating disorders occur between the age of 12 and 25 years. Examples of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa occurs in people who eat a lot of food and purge or deny themselves food at all. The aim of purging after eating is to eliminate the fear of gaining weight or digesting unwanted foods. However, in the process of purging, an individual denies the essential body nutrients leading to massive loss of weight, fatigue, avoidance of social functions, and depression. Most cases of anorexia nervosa lead to death if a person does not receive adequate treatment. This study investigates the perspectives of college students about the risk of eating disorders.