Identifying symptoms of eating disorders, in yourself or your loved ones, can prove to be rather difficult. That is why, in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health, Bucks faculty organized an information table, lined with booklets and pamphlets, to help students better understand eating disorders.

In honor of Eating Disorder Awareness month, Dekia Smith, the Counseling Services director at Bucks, and Jim Gilligan, a student planning counselor, distributed information regarding eating disorders on Feb. 10, on the second floor of the Rollins Center on the Newtown Campus. The information included the symptoms of eating disorders, prevention, treatment options, and information on the do’s and don’ts of reaching out to someone who has an eating disorder.

Vicki Mansure, a student planning counselor at Bucks, organized the materials and advocated for having the table.

This information has been distributed for the last five years. “We do this every year,” said Smith. “It brings awareness that eating disorders exist and they exist in various ways. I do not have statistics of how many students we help but students come in battling depression, or anxiety, and that could be coupled with an eating disorder. Sometimes it is hard to tell. Usually schools or institutions will do an event to assist students with information on how to get help for themselves or their loved ones. If a student needs help, we can refer them out to resources in the community and find treatment options for them.”

Smith said the booklets that they distribute target areas like anorexia, bulimia, eating disorders in the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community and eating disorders in athletes.

Symptoms of anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating include: extremely low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, severe food restriction, swollen salivary glands, chronically inflamed throat, and intestinal distress or irritation from laxative abuse. These disorders can be treated by individual, group or family psychotherapy, medical care and monitoring, nutritional counseling, or medications like antidepressants.

The Bucks faculty also provided information on how to reach out to people who have eating disorders. Because this can be difficult, there was a list of the do’s and don’ts of reaching out to someone with an eating disorder. When doing so, it is recommended that you do not try to solve their eating disorder on your own but rather have them seek help from a professional.

Also, do not reject, ignore, or be afraid to upset them. It is recommended that you not focus on their weight, the number of calories they consume, or their eating habits. Instead, talk about things other than food or weight and tell the person you are concerned and that you care and would like to help. Actions that may contribute to someone’s eating disorder include: making fun of another’s eating habits, encouraging someone to lose weight, considering a person’s weight important, criticizing your own eating, etc.

Research shows that the cause of eating disorders is a combination of genetic, biological, psychological, and social factors. These areas are currently undergoing research to better understand and determine risk factors. Researchers are also attempting to find better strategies for preventing and treating eating disorders.