Business management senior Laurel Keys has struggled with food since she was 12 years old.
“In middle school, me and my friends used to see who would eat the least at lunch that day,” she said
Keys is one of up to 24 million Americans of all ages and both genders who suffer from eating disorders, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.
In an effort to protect others from the same battle Keys fights, the University is celebrating National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, which highlights the severity of eating disorders in today’s culture and provides positive encouragement for people struggling with body image.
Keys ice skated for 12 years, and she said the nature of the sport didn’t allow for extra pounds on her body.
In high school, Keys said she was addicted to drugs and alcohol, and food was never her first priority. She said she never understood portion control until she went to rehab for her substance abuse.
But she struggled again when her first relationship break-up triggered another episode of weight loss and reinstated her obsession with food.
“I bought a scale. I had never owned a scale, and started weighing myself five times a day,” she said. “I ate raw food, stuff that didn’t really have any calories in it.”
Keys knew she should ask for professional help from the Student Health Center when she would sleep in the middle of the day so she didn’t have to eat or think about food.
“I was able to go in there for free and not have to ask my parents about it or talk to them about it. I was able to get help for myself without having to talk to a bunch of people about it,” she said.
Keys said her eating disorder is a constant struggle that can never be completely cured.
“You are only willing to do the work when you are ready,” she said.
As part of the week of awareness, the Student Health Center launched a media campaign called “I Heart Me” to promote positive body image and awareness about eating disorders.
“The campaign is a prevention approach,” said Vanessa Richard, registered dietitian. “It promotes people to embrace and love themselves.”
The American College Health Association conducted its National College Health Assessment at LSU in spring 2011. In the survey, 3.9 percent of students reported experiencing an eating disorder while in college and 53.5 percent of students reported trying to lose weight.
Richard said several factors could trigger an eating disorder.
“We are sent messages from the media to fix problems we don’t have,” Richard said.
Other factors can be genetic predispositions, stress, substance use or low self-esteem, she said.
Athletes can also struggle with proper nutritional habits and pressures to have a certain body type, according to Jamie Mascari, sports nutrition coordinator for the LSU Athletic Department.
“A lot of sports are judged on appearance and how they look, like gymnastics, cheerleading, diving — they have an aesthetic aspect,” Mascari said.
Mascari said her main goal is to educate athletes, and her focus is performance.
“If you are performing well and your energy levels are right, and you are fueling your body correctly, that should be the focus, not just your appearance,” Mascari said.
Mascari said LSU Cheerleaders and Tiger Girls face a lot of pressure to look good because of the uniforms they wear and skills they perform.
She teaches them from the beginning to make the right nutritional and exercise choices.
Richard said the Student Health Center can help students who struggle with an eating disorder or who need treatment for a disorder.
The eating disorders treatment team includes a dietician and a psychologist, both confidential and free of charge to students.
 
 
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Contact Jacy Baggett at [email protected]