Food

The TRUTH About College Eating Disorders

Post image for The TRUTH About College Eating Disorders

by johncondry on February 27, 2012

Eating disorders are a fairly common, but often misunderstood issue. Are college students at risk for these horrible conditions? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. According to a study by the Walden Behavioral Care Center, 15% of female college students have eating disorders. While they most often affect women, the National Eating Disorder Association places the number of men suffering from them at 1 million.

So what are eating disorders exactly? Their origin is not yet fully understood and the answer isn’t very simple. What we do know is that they are products of a combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

DIAGNOSIS

Eating disorders can be very difficult to diagnose, however, they are usually categorized into three main sub-conditions. These categories are Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge Eating.

But how can you tell if someone you know has an eating disorder? The signs and symptoms can change or may not be present in all cases. It is also very possible for someone’s condition to change or cross over the classifications. Here are some of the known signs for the most common ED’s:

Anorexia:  eating as little as possible in order to avoid weight gain

  • distorted body image
  • developed eating rituals
  • skin discoloration (purple fingers, pale skin, etc…)
  • intense, rapid weight loss

Bulimia: consuming large amounts of food in a short period, but then purging shortly after

  • purging after eating (using the restroom after every meal)
  • erosion of bottom teeth
  • marks on the back of the hand
  • dehydration

Binge Eating: consuming large amounts of food (often at night, or in secret) with absolutely no control

  • hiding their binging (rarely eating in public)
  • “grazing” (eating constantly)
  • depression
  • rapid, unexplainable weight gain

Many of these symptoms apply for ALL these diseases, so if you suspect someone has an eating disorder, you can’t really know until they have been examined by a professional.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

So, what should you do if you think someone you know may have an eating disorder? This can become dangerous territory because people with eating disorders are very protective of them. Do your research, learn the facts, and then try and talk to your friend about your concerns…GENTLY. Telling them what to do is not a good idea and may drive them away. Hopefully, they will appreciate your concern and seek treatment, but this can be a VERY difficult conversation. Be well prepared.

If you are looking for information for yourself, a friend, a family member, or anyone else, there are plenty of resources out there for eating disorder victims. The school’s health center is definite;y a good place to start, but there are some great online resources like MEDA and the NEDA.

Do you know anyone affected by eating disorders? How easy is it to convince someone or yourself you have an eating disorder? Do you have a treatment experience?

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

{ 1 comment }

Is BSU Healthy Enough?

Post image for Is BSU Healthy Enough?

by Ryan Munns on February 13, 2012

It seems as though the whole world seems to be on a “health kick-” and it’s definitely noticeable here at Bridgewater State. Every year more and more students are becoming vegetarians- or at least choosing to eat healthy. Such choices are almost always positive decisions, but does that mean the students who don’t eat salad or veggie burgers at every meal are in the wrong?

I don’t think so.

We’re all adults here and because of that, we all should know the pros and cons of our food choices. If you want to eat incredibly healthy, then go for it. If you want to eat burgers and fries, by all means, suit yourself. Students should be able to choose for themselves. That all being said, there is always room for improvements to be made.

1. SWITCH IT UP

First off, I don’t think BSU should cut any meals that are on the menu in favor of healthier options. We all pay a ton of money for our meal plans so we should have a variety of options. However, they should definitely add more healthy options to the menu. Sure, Bridgewater has salad bars, fruit, whole grain breads, and a few lot fat options, but I’m sure there are more options that could be explored. Maybe add some organic options and healthier, low fat versions of the same food and meals (ex: GRILLED chicken cutlet sandwich instead of the usual fried chicken finger favorite).

2. GIVE US THE FACTS

BSU is already helping students make healthier meal selections by publishing the calorie count next to all items at dining halls like ECC and Tilly, but they could probably take that one step further. Maybe if they advertised the healthier foods using fliers, email newsletters, or social media, they could encourage students to break out of their usual “fries and pizza” routine.

3. DINING HALLS, Y U NO OPEN?!

Have you ever got out of class at 9:50 and headed to ECC, Tilly, or Bear’s Den for breakfast  just to find that they’re not serving breakfast anymore? In fact, the’re preparing lunch. 10am is a little early for lunch in my opinion. 10-11am is still a great time for breakfast and that way students can get a bagel or some fruit at ECC instead of a donut and coffee from Dunkin Donuts.

 

Do you think BSU needs more healthy food options? Should the dining hall hours be extended? Have you ever wondered how many calories are in that lunch of yours?

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

{ 3 comments }

5 Ways to Make Presentations Less Boring

Post image for 5 Ways to Make Presentations Less Boring

by KellyWhelan on December 12, 2011

Finals are coming up, and I can’t be the only one who has to give a presentation for one of my classes. So, for my sake, your sake, and the sake of your fellow students, here are some tips for making your presentations more interesting:

Audio & Visual

This is pretty straightforward, but don’t underestimate it. No one wants to look at a PowerPoint that’s just a big, long block of text, and they certainly don’t want to stare at your lips moving the whole time you’re up there. Break up your presentation with music, a surprising visual, or use up time with a video. Just make sure you use something related to your project–your professor probably won’t like it if you show your favorite episode of Teen Mom when you’re supposed to be talking about The U.S. Constitution.

Jokes

If you think a presentation is just a list of stats and percentages, I promise your audience is going to be asleep before you even finish the introduction. You don’t have to be a comedian, and you should make sure you remain classroom appropriate, but it definitely wouldn’t hurt your presentation to appease your audience with a few jokes. They already have to sit through a class period of boring presentations–you might as well help them out a bit by making yours a little more amusing.

Interactive Questions

This one can be a dud, but it can also work really well. You’re giving a presentation to prove that you’ve learned something and to help your fellow students learn something. One of the best ways to do this is with questions, handouts, or basically anything that will get your audience involved. Before you use this tactic though, try to observe the students in your class on a regular day. If you’ve gotten used to the sound of crickets every time the professor asks a question, chances are your attempts to do the same won’t go any better.

Food

Some people will do almost anything for food–even listen to your presentation.  Just be careful about what you bring in: avoid noisy food, messy food, and foods that people are typically allergic too (PB&J is not a good choice). Also, be careful not to go overboard (it’s not a holiday turkey dinner, its a class presentation). If you bring in some cookies or candy and pass them out at the beginning (or as a reward for answering questions) chances are you’ll build some goodwill with your audience.

Wild Card

If your teacher would be okay with it, embrace the unexpected. People are going to be more interested in your presentation if you do something out of the ordinary. We’ve all see the same boring PowerPoints, but have you ever seen anyone get up in front of the class in costume, or bring something in for show-and-tell? My friend had a professor for a dog psychology class who brought her dogs to class, and guess what? People paid attention that day. So if you can think of some silly/crazy stunt to pull (that’s related to your presentation), it might be worth it to roll with it.

These tips aren’t going to get you an A if you don’t put some work into the presentation in the first place. What they will do is make your presentation more interesting, and they might keep your audience from daydreaming about things they’d rather be doing instead of listening to you.

 

How many presentations to DO have to do for finals week? How do you plan on spicing them up?

Post to Twitter Tweet This Post

{ 0 comments }