Correction appended.
Editor's Note: This if the second in a two-part series examining eating disorders at Dartmouth. The first part discussed the problem as it pertains to the College and the second part evaluates how students and administrators are working to alleviate the problem.
In the past month, the College hosted several eating disorder-related events, including No Diet Day, Love Your Body Day and Speak Out, a discussion panel run by Eating Disorder Peer Advisers -- all a sign of growing awareness about eating disorders on campus, according to Director of Health Programs Laura Rubenstein.
While some students may remain unaware about eating disorders on campus, Dartmouth undergraduates have become increasingly vocal about discussing eating disorders and decreasing the stigma that surrounds them, Rubenstein said.
In an attempt to change the social culture from the inside out, Rubinstein teaches an EDPA class of 20 to 25 students each fall and spring. One-third of the class has had some form of eating disorder, and most participants who have not struggled with eating disorders themselves have watched one of their loved ones battle an eating disorder.
"The more eyes and ears out there recognizing what an eating disorder is, the better," Rubinstein said. "Lots of people diet and don't like their bodies, so they exercise compulsively. Maybe someone who's an EDPA is more attuned to noticing these types of behaviors."
Rubinstein educates EDPAs about food, eating and cultural attitudes toward these topics so they can be resources for students. She also trains them to change their friends' mindsets by projecting positive body images and attitudes about food.
Julia Baxter '06, who became an EDPA over two years ago and now helps train new EDPAs, believes that they are an underused resource, but have grown to include more types of people.
"Many more males are being trained now, and they're helping the developers make the program useful and applicable for everyone," she said.
Dartmouth nutritionist Claudette Peck runs a drop-in hour from 2 to 3 p.m. every Monday called "Ask the Nutritionist," in which students can meet with her on the third floor of Dick's House and ask any food or eating-related topics.
There are long waiting times for nutritionist and counseling appointments, however, so the College has hired a part-time counselor while searching for a full-time one.
Peck has observed that students tend to think they need to visit a nutritionist when their eating disorders are caused by a more deeply-embedded issue.
But on a campus where students can "cram" for a test, quick solutions for everything -- including their health -- seem like the easiest answer according to Peck.
"When it comes to an eating disorder, it isn't about the food. The food is a tool," Peck said. "There is no such thing as a nutritional emergency."
Peck encourages students to seek counseling in addition to nutritional advice, and explains that the usual wait times of at least two weeks to see her often result because she can only meet with three new students a week due to the follow-up appointments and support each patient requires. In addition, she often has appointment times that are free but do not fit into a student's schedule, she said.
Both Peck and Rubinstein focus on eliminating the use of what is known as eating disorder language, which labels certain foods as "good" and others as "bad." Some students come to see Peck and state initial goals of simply getting healthier or losing weight, but from the way they talk about food, it becomes clear that they may have an eating disturbance.
"If we deemphasize good and bad eating and talk about giving ourselves flexibility in eating, then we're moving in the right direction," Peck said.
Peck explained that "fat" has become a "four-letter word" and a derogatory statement that young women now use to represent negative feelings.
"'Fat' means 'I feel badly about myself in some way,'" Peck explained. "When we feel 'fat,' we think the solution to not feeling fat is eating less. But if you're depressed, what's actually helpful?"
Willa Rose Johnson '06, a recovered anorexic, said she found Peck to be very compassionate and knowledgeable when visiting Peck weekly during her junior winter and spring.
"Claudette is very specific to what you're struggling with and very cognizant of all the things that might bother you," Johnson said. "She helps you remove yourself from it and shows you how it might be connected to your emotions."
While Johnson said that she brought her eating disorder with her and that any college would have fostered it, she believes that Dartmouth encouraged it with its competitive environment, short terms, Dartmouth plan and sophomore summer, all of which can lead to feelings of isolation and disconnection.
Despite Dartmouth's potentially negative aspects, however, Johnson has a positive view of the College's eating disorder support team.
"I think the counseling department is the best part of Dick's House," said Johnson, whose treatment from a Dick's House-referred psychologist in the community is covered by Dartmouth insurance. "I think the openness we have about eating disorders is good, and I think Dick's House is very aware of the problem and very prepared to deal with it."
For group support, Dartmouth students can join the Food and Mood group, a closed group that opens up to new members at the start of each term. Meeting on Mondays, the group is run by Dartmouth psychologist Dr. Donna Steinberg, who teaches students to better manage their emotions when food has previously been their tool.
For more immediate solutions, Rubinstein pointed to various organizations that seek to empower women, such as the 1972 Society Program, a group that works to welcome freshmen women to Dartmouth and promote interaction between women of all classes.
"I think that one way to combat eating disorders is to be surrounded by examples of health and wellness. Being around strong, confident upperclassmen helps that, and that's what we try to do in 1972," said Baxter, one of the four senior leaders of the 1972 Society.
As for male-oriented eating disorder support, the issue is still so small on campus that there are no organizations specifically geared toward it. Jack Groetzinger '07 said that treatment for men would have to consider men's preferences for social interaction.
"I think guys and girls look for support in different ways," Groetzinger said, suggesting private sessions with a counselor or nutritionist or one-on-one intervention with friends.
Rubinstein emphasized that women need to assert their identities as valuable voices on campus and responds when they see or read things that enrage them. She also challenged eating disorder patients to take an honest, unflinching look at what they are suppressing through their unhealthy eating habits.
"What are you not thinking about when you're thinking about food and your body?" Rubinstein said. "Often, eating is not really what an eating disorder is about at all."
The original version of this article ("Staff, students attempt to curb eating disorders," May 15, 2006), stated that Willa Rose Johnson '06 had been treated by a psychiatrist when in fact she saw a psychologist.
