Monica Rodriguez Roldan, a sophomore, at Trinity College, is puzzled by what she observes at her cafeteria table.

“I'm not from here. I'm from Spain, and I have been raised with the idea you eat when its lunchtime, you eat when it's breakfast time,” she says. “It doesn't really matter how hungry you are, you have to eat.”
But in the U.S., when she sits down for lunch, many of the girls announce that they're not hungry, or that they don't eat at lunchtime or dinnertime.
“Should we eat only when we get hungry?” she says. “Or should we eat on a regular schedule?”
Her question is addressed to a panel of experts at a recent Trinity lunchtime discussion on dieting, exercise and eating disorders.
Renee Bourdeaux, a West Hartford registered dietitian, tells her that the “U.S. does not have the market on how to eat properly.
That's one thing that we do not do very well is eat well and teach those behaviors and instill that in our children.”
While it's not clear that anyone at Roldan's table has an eating disorder, it is true that eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia, disordered eating and extreme or unusual diets are common across college campuses – particularly among young women.
There are various estimates, but according to the National Eating Disorder Association, 20 percent of college students have anorexia, bulimia or a binge-eating disorder. Most are women. Some studies have shown that 50 percent to 60 percent of college students have disordered eating patterns which are loosely defined as irregular or unusual, sometimes obsessive habits.
Colleges have recognized the issue, and many have established programs designed to raise awareness about good eating habits, to identify signs of eating disorders, and to inform students about services available on campus.
“That's probably why there are more reports of eating disorders on campus and people trying to seek help,” says panel member Paula Holmes, clinical director of the eating disorders program at the Institute of Living in Hartford.
It is helpful when students get the message from schools that admitting they have a problem doesn't mean they will need to leave school and that services on campus or in the nearby community are available, she says.
Why do eating disorders often come up in college-age students? Barry Schreier, director of counseling and mental health services at the University of Connecticut, says it may be related to the loss of the structure that they had at home.
(Source: Latiomes.com)