Recent Study Sparks Discussion of Eating Disorders on College Campuses

Photo by diana_pole via Unsplash

Warning: This story contains potentially triggering content, including discussions of eating disorders and body image.

Boise State University’s 2024 study found that 100% of their student body is displeased with their body image. It’s being felt by college students on a national level. 

“I’ve been very insecure of my body since early elementary,” said Marist College student Jazi Khraisi ‘26. “I experienced fat shaming and those memories always stuck with me.”

College students are particularly at risk of developing an eating disorder due to several factors, including stress from living in a new environment, having less structure and being away from friends and family.

It is estimated that 9% of Americans – or 28.8 million individuals – will have an eating disorder at some point during their lifetime, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.

Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder are some of the most commonly diagnosed eating disorders in the U.S. 

Complications of eating disorders include low blood pressure, mild anemia and muscle weakness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

“In high school, I dealt with a lot of negative self-image,” shared one sophomore at Marist. “It got better by the end of high school, but then coming to college, it got worse again.”

The “freshman 15,” an expression referring to college students gaining weight during their freshman year, often plays a driving role in disordered eating and negative body image among college students.

“I was terrified of [the freshman 15] as a freshman,” said the student. “I wouldn’t eat late at night on the weekends, or I would really try to make healthy choices in the dining hall, which wasn’t great for my mental health.”

All students who are in college right now were in high school when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Schools went to remote learning, social interaction drastically decreased and social media’s impact skyrocketed.

As the world began to shut down due to the pandemic, at-home workouts and long outdoor walks became more common. Fitness YouTubers, such as Chloe Ting, developed workout programs that could be done at home with fast results. This struck a chord with younger audiences. “I was a Chloe Ting fanatic,” said Megan Doshi ‘26. “I would do two of her workout plans at once for months.”

Several other Marist students, including Khraisi and Jess Arul ‘26, shared similar memories of the viral workout challenge.

The prevalence of eating disorders increased significantly during the pandemic, a 2021 National Library of Medicine analysis found. The increase was from 31.8% in 2018 to 51.8% in 2021 in women, and 13% in 2018 to 31.3% in 2021 in men.

The sharp increase during the lockdown has been attributed to the lack of physical activity, such as going to the gym or participating in sports, as well as changes in eating habits, self-isolation, and food insecurity.

Though high school sports teams couldn’t meet, it didn’t stop student-athletes from working out on their own. “There was a way for you to calculate the amount of meters that you did [for rowing],” said Arul. “I would work out 24/7. There was not a break unless I was sleeping.”

Arul recalls starting rowing in the eighth grade and was immediately surrounded by constant calorie counting and weighing herself. “I have a very distinct memory of my coach wanting me to make lightweight, and I needed to be 130 pounds or under. That’s all I focused on.”

Young athletes tend to be at greater risk of experiencing an eating disorder, according to Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. Factors such as dieting, having the idea that being thinner equates to being a better athlete and having a coach highly focused on success and competition can contribute.

Additionally to the athleticism factor, research has shown that certain features of social media, such as the ease of finding eating disorder-promoting content, the prominence of weight-loss trends that promote thinness and personalized algorithms that users can’t escape, can lead to negative body image and disordered eating among young people.

“Being on social media is a huge factor for people as to why they change the way they look,” said Doshi. “It has a lot to do with comparison.” 

Though these issues prevail in students’ lives, resources available to students are continuing to help them face related challenges.

Paige Graff ‘24 is the Vice President of Student Well-being in Marist Student Government Association (SGA). She acts as a liaison between the student body and Counseling and Health Services

A mirror filled with positive body affirmations from Graff's Body Positivity SGA event Credit: Emma Gaecklein '26

Graff has helped put on student well-being events this year including a breast cancer awareness event, positive affirmation events and a body positivity event.

“Counseling and Health Services offer such a wide range of services that may not always be known, and they do a good job at making sure that if they’re not able to provide help, they can provide information or names of someone who can,” said Graff.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, you can reach the National Alliance for Eating Disorders Helpline at 1-(866)-662-1235.

Marist College Counseling Services are available for in-person and telehealth appointments. Counseling Services are also available for “Let’s Talk” sessions, where students can drop in for an informal, private conversation with a Marist Counseling Center clinical counselor.