No matter where you look on Grounds, a group of die-hard runners is always within sight. Every time you go to Memorial Gymnasium, you see that same girl working it on the elliptical. Above the AFC entrance, a Thomas Jefferson quotation is inscribed, "Give about two hours everyday to exercise, for health must not be sacrificed to learning. A strong body makes the mind strong."
These factors beg the question: is the University a healthy environment to attend school?
Emily Lape, an eating disorder specialist at Counseling and Psychiatric Services, doesn't think so.
"U.Va. is a very image-conscious community," Lape said. "The gym, running, dining halls and sororities all put pressure on what you eat."
According to Lape, when students come to the University, these changes can create new disorders or work to transform old ones.
Fourth-year College student Jess Tarleton experienced something similar to what Lape describes.
"The shock of moving to a new place and the social and academic pressures threw me into something of a relapse of my eating disorder," Tarleton said. "I had a very hard time making friends my first year, and I again resorted to eating and exercise as coping mechanisms."
Tarleton also said she found the dining hall atmosphere to be oppressive.
"The very social atmosphere and all-you-can-eat setup of the dining hall only increased my anxiety about food," Tarleton said. "To this day, I still get extremely nervous about going to O-Hill."
Since 1987, Lape said she has seenhas seen an increase in eating disorders here on Grounds."People used to think of it as a white, middle-class problem," Lape said. "Now it is [also] prevalent in African-American and Asian communities."
By their first year of college, 4.5 to 18 percent of women and 0.4 percent of men have a history of bulimia, according to 1994 statistics cited by WebMD. One in every hundred females between the ages of 12 and 18 are diagnosed with anorexia. Males typically occupy around 5 to 10 percent of eating disorder cases. At Student Health, there has been an increase in the number of athletes and men that are admitting to having diet problems.
"Usually when men come in [to Student Health], they are there to address something else and don't see an eating disorder as the main problem," Lape said. "But when you scratch the surface, you find this is actually the case."
So, what are your options for help at the University? Student Health's Center for Counseling and Psychological Services offers a variety of therapy resources for students. One eating disorders recovery group created by CAPS has been widely successful in creating a family atmosphere for students with body image issues. Students can also attain help from the Women's Center and the Curry and Ruffner Clinics. Lape also recommends the Web site www.myselfhelp.com, which is a Web-based self-help program.
Tarleton also offered valuable advice to those suffering from eating disorders.
"My best advice would be to not be afraid to admit to a problem," Tarleton said. "Once you confide in one person that you feel like something is not quite right, you will realize that everyone here is not as put-together as they seem. Find friends that will allow you to be honest with them and that will be honest with you, and you won't feel alone."
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