On Campus Options for Anyone Struggling with Eating

Part two of a three part film and discussion series Weight: A Cultural Obsession took place in theater 1 of the MUB at 7 pm Tuesday night.

This session’s film entitled Having Your Cake: Goodbye to Bulimia, told how four young women realized they had bulimia and how they overcame this deadly disease.

Suzanne Sonneborn, a Nutrition Educator from Health Services, greeted the small audience of no more than ten females by announcing the numerous resources UNH offers for individuals who need to talk about issues such as eating disorders. In addition to informative events like this film and discussion series, there are more private options such as support groups and counselors, both adult and peer.

“This is the fourth film series we’ve done,” explained Sonneborn, who considers it “a good way to educate people about such a controversial topic.”

The final film of this particular series will be shown on February 24 at 7 pm in the MUB theater 1. For information on other film and discussion series as well as other support groups, check out the UNH Health Services website.

After the film, Sonneborn held a brief discussion with the audience by posing about five questions. Through this discussion, the audience learned that the most common eating disorder is compulsive eating, also known as binge eating. The audience also learned that because it is easier to conceal, bulimia is more common than anorexia nervosa.

Furthermore, research has shown that students learn better from their peers than they do from an adult source, Sonneborn claimed as she introduced two peer educators, sophomore Joanne Fitzgerald and freshman Eva-Molly Dunbar.

Every Thursday from 1-2:30 pm, Fitzgerald and Dunbar co-facilitate a peer support group that meets in the Batchellor House and discusses eating disorders along with any other nutritional issues. This group is open to all UNH students that are concerned or interested in anything related to body image.

While Dunbar joined the group so she could educate others about nutritional issues, Fitzgerald was interested in meeting people with similar interests, learning new things, and getting involved around campus.

Indeed, their group is responsible for rec tables, cooking classes, programs for sororities and dorms, as well as promoting fruits and veggies with posters around campus.

When asked if they feel like they are truly making a difference, both girls immediately answered yes.

“We’ve had people come up to us and ask us about our posters and we have different people coming to the group all the time,” said Fitzgerald.

Support groups like the one Fitzgerald and Dunbar are involved in are a fantastic resource for college students, especially considering that eating disorders are way more prevalent on college campuses than at any other level of schooling. Sonneborn attributes this influx to the additional stress and peer pressure that is introduced with the new climate of college.

While Fitzgerald and Dunbar both agreed that it’s difficult to make healthy choices given the overwhelming options in the dining halls, they also agreed that the more awareness about nutrition the better.

So why then, would these two peer educators of nutrition be against the new nutrition table present in Philbrook Dining Hall?

“It would be better if they just marked the healthy options rather than displaying all the numbers,” said Fitzgerald.

“It shouldn’t be in your face,” agreed Sonneborn. “It can be a risk to those who suffer with food and eating.”

While the dining halls explain that it has become a national trend to display nutrition information, Sonneborn argues that a college campus is made up of a very different audience than the average American.

Sonneborn is meeting with the Dining subcommittee to discuss this issue and perhaps develop a compromise later this week.

In the meantime, Fitzgerald has some advice for the college student worrying about what he or she eats: “Listen to what you’re hungry for and if you’re craving it, eat it!”