From Barbies to models on the front of dozens of magazines and TV ads, society has given people an idealized image and further encouraged them to work towards that ideal image. Like most general assertions, this one has not come without consequences.

Societal pressures and expectations that have been internalized are only one of the causes of eating disorders that Tracee Anderson from the counseling center mentions. She also includes difficulties with emotional regulation and expression, underdeveloped or poorly integrated sense of ‘self,’ family problems, a co-morbid diagnosis with depression or other psychiatric problems and stress management.

Whatever the cause, eating disorders are usually a way for people to gain greater control over their lives when they feel like they are slipping away. The problem with body image is that it is not only relevant in the ‘awkward’ ages of puberty, but also follows people through their entire lives. Eating disorders and their causes do not disappear over time and are not something that can be outgrown.

“Body image issues usually start at a very young age. For example, 42 percent of first- to third-graders want to be thinner, 78 percent of 18-year-olds are unhappy with their bodies and the number one wish of females aged 11 to 17 is to lose weight,” said Anderson.

In the college-age group specifically, eating disorders affect about 7 million women and 1 million men. Approximately 19 percent of college students suffer from some form of bulimia, 10 percent have some form of anorexia, and 50 percent of people who have been anorexic develop bulimia or bulimic patterns, according to Anderson.

The influence of culture has a very high impact on how people feel about themselves. This relationship between culture and individualism is tightly bound to the point that individuals define themselves by society’s standards. Obsession with fitting the societal mold causes people to be increasingly body conscious.

“Too frequently in our culture,” said Anderson, “personal value becomes dependent on external, socially constructed variables that really have nothing to do with one’s worth. Many people have become body image junkies that are amputated from their most intimate senses by being over-worked and over-stressed and over-focused on carving, re-shaping, or re-molding their bodies’ natural shapes so that they are better fit to what culture has led them to believe is valuable.”

Within the college population, Anderson orders eating disorders by their prevalence: dysfunctional eating and/or exercise patterns, bulimia and anorexia.   She says that body image issues are more common in college than actual ‘clinical’ eating disorders.

Anderson mentions some of the physical outcomes of eating disorders. Anorexia specifically can cause amenorrhea (loss of menstrual cycle which can lead to loss of fertility and other hormonal problems), brittle hair, hypotension (low blood pressure), hypothermia, dependent edema (abnormal accumulation of fluid in cells), metabolic changes which can lead to cardiac problems (electrolyte imbalances, protein deficiencies, mineral and fluid imbalances), gastrointestinal problems, possible liver and kidney damage, possible internal bleeding and infection.

Bulemia can lead to electrolyte imbalances, menstrual irregularities, digestive and gastro-intestinal problems (ulcers, esophogitis), swelling of the lateral section of the cheek (inflammation of glands due to gastric content), impaired metabolism, low blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, puffy eyes, swollen glands, dizziness, anemia and malnourishment.

On a social and psychological level, according to Anderson, eating disorders cause a preoccupation with food, eating, calories, and/or exercise with an inability to “let go” of those thoughts, self-induced pressure to succeed or be perfect, social and personal inflexibility, irritability, social withdrawal, self-hatred and self-denegation, increased risk of substance abuse and the lack of ability to articulate and express feelings.

Along the lines of these psychological effects, Anderson says that it is very common for people with eating disorders or body image issues to also suffer from sub-clinical depression or anxiety.

“Many times a student will come in for counseling with depression or anxiety as their primary diagnosis but eating or body image issues are a big part of that clinical picture,” said Anderson.

Despite all of the negative affects of eating disorders, people still frequently maintain an obsession over perfecting their bodies.

“Rigid standards for beauty (and thus self-worth) keep people from giving energy to the things that really matter in life, like –– love, sharing experiences, creativity, connection, etcetera. It’s like the body has become a battleground that is being exploited and ruthlessly polluted through self-criticism and negative judgment about all the things that aren’t good or right about our size, looks or shape,” said Anderson.

Awareness of this problem is beneficial on multiple fronts. Though eating disorders are not easily overcome, there are people willing to help those who suffer. Friends, family, housemates and teammates are a few sources of support, and clinical help is quite frequently effective.

“Treatment for eating or body image issues, depression and anxiety works. For example, the success rate for treatment of depression is 80 percent; for anxiety, 80 to 90 percent and for clinical eating disorders, 60 percent.   Twenty percent recover partially and 20 percent have chronic eating disorders,” said Anderson.

Other than the occasional TV or magazine campaign that addresses the issue, there is not a lot done on a cultural level to change the way that society affects its people.

“Culture is created and maintained by people. This is good and bad news. The bad news is that it is an example of how all of us, at some level, perpetuate some pretty twisted ideas about the importance and relevance of socially constructed beauty ideals. The good news is this gives us all the power to change the cultural standards by refusing to buy into or participate in the perpetuation of these ideals,” Anderson said.