Social Interactions and Eating Disorders in College

HARSHA PATIL – College is a hub of social interactions; whether it be through parties (when we aren’t in a pandemic), or through social media, students are constantly connected. This makes for a very stimulating environment, although at times, an overload of sensations. College is a place where students are expected to act like adults despite the fact that for most students, it’s a trial and error process.

College students are known for their unruly, mostly unstructured lifestyles, especially when it’s their first year. The ability to eat whatever and whenever coupled with the freedom to see friends whenever they desire, is alluring. Although this lack of structure can simply be attributed to the risqué sleep schedules and the early morning classes, another prominent issue is eating disorders.

At first glance, it isn’t always obvious to see that someone is suffering from an eating disorder. However, it is known that cases of eating disorders have been increasing on college campuses for both male and female populations (contrary to popular stereotypes). Coupled with the stress of school and now a pandemic, cases of disordered eating are quite common. College is a period of critical development, so most students are extremely impressionable. Disorders such as anorexia and bingeing and purging behaviors are the most rampant, especially among friend groups. 

Peers often perpetuate unhealthy lifestyles without even knowing it. This is largely due to the group-think mentality of a lot of college students. At that age, they are looking to fit in. A potent example of this mentality can be seen in the following scenario.

Lisa sees herself in the mirror as she gets ready and comments on her “morning skinny” to her friend Annie. The girls plan on drinking that night, but Lisa mentions that she won’t be eating dinner beforehand, as she doesn’t want to look bloated in her dress. She also mentions that it’ll help her have more fun, faster. Annie is taken aback; she was excited about dinner, but now feels ashamed to have wanted it.

In the above example, Lisa didn’t intend to make Annie feel bad, but her own insecurities made Annie feel insufficient. And because neither girl was looking for affirmation from the other about this being healthy, the two begin to inadvertently go down a darker pathway.

What can start as simple “disordered eating” can snowball into a much more serious eating disorder, which can be lethal. In the US alone, ED’s have the second highest mortality rate, just after opioid use disorder.

Personal interactions have a great deal of influence over people, but social media can also promote types of bodies that may be ideal. Though there is no specific cause of an ED, social media sure doesn’t help it. In addition to the dangerous pro-ED websites accessible by teens everywhere, social media apps can spread misinformation and encourage pro-ED behaviors. Nowadays, as teens scroll through Instagram and now TikTok, it is hard not to compare our bodies to those of “influencers.” Even food bloggers can slip down the path, and impressionable college students are at just the right age to be on board with such trends. 

Of course, there are plenty of other factors that might contribute to disordered eating patterns or eating disorders, but being aware of the people and social media content you expose yourself plays a big role in healthily such behaviors are managed.

Copy Editor: Sara Sohani

Photography Source: Bianca Patel, https://www.dailycal.org/2018/10/13/fearing-the-freshman-fifteen-confronting-body-image-issues-and-eating-disorders-in-college/