Quiet struggle of college students – Witita

College life can be difficult. You are away from your family and the life you once knew. This week we have a dissertation, two tests and two quizzes. For athletes, there are additional exercises, trainings and games. For some students, this stress, along with the stress of building new friendships and relationships, only amplifies the body image problems they have long struggled with. In some cases, poor self-esteem and other problems can lead to the development of eating disorders and unhealthy relationships with food.

Kylie Car, a professional counselor MSU Texas Counseling CenterStudents suffering from eating disorders said they needed to get the help they needed early, not later, because eating disorders can be the leading cause of death.

“It’s very dangerous when we’re not eating at all, losing food, practicing binging or purging. It’s really serious because it destroys your body over time. And in time it could really be life-threatening if we don’t catch it, “Kerr said. “I think athletes are a little more vulnerable just because they are under pressure to maintain a certain weight or stay healthy enough to compete at that level. . “

Strength & Conditioning Coach Jeremy Pick worked with athletes in soccer, men’s basketball, men’s and women’s tennis, women’s soccer, and athletics to explain why athletes considered them at high risk of eating disorders.

“Eating disorders are usually fairly disciplined and people who are very determined to fit the athlete’s personality, whatever their goals. They are usually severe restrictions, whether it is a purge or not. Attempts have that self-discipline to let themselves do some things that are classified as eating disorders. It takes a bit of indomitable spirit to do that, and athletes fit the bill. Sometimes, “Pick said.

Senior Finance Jasmine Amo has been an athletics and cross-country athlete since elementary school. At the college she attended before Amo transferred to MSU, her coach urged her to run 12 to 15 miles a day.

“It was just ridiculous, and I heard him doing it to lose weight because I’m not a small runner. Because of my desire to be anorexia nervosa, I Had a very long mileage, so essentially my body didn’t work very well, “Amo said.

Lauren Tisdale, who graduated from MSU special education in December 2019, was diagnosed with anorexia at the age of 16. But from the age of 11, she began to suffer from these types of thoughts and actions.

When Tizdale explains to college students why she thought eating disorders were common, she said, “You leave home for the first time. Often, eating disorders are for control. That’s their Maybe one reason. You can control them while they are away for the first time. “

Christine Tempelmeier, who graduated from MSU with a degree in the media in May 2020, said she had a chaotic diet for the first few years at a college college six hours away from home. Universities were smaller than MSU and had very limited and inadequate dietary options. During this time, Tempelmeier was also practicing volleyball from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The cafeteria wasn’t open until 6 pm and she was supposed to practice 30 minutes early.

“I started making habits for myself [eating] After practice, the only time I left the room was to go to practice, so that was the only time I ate. Then I went to eat, went to McDonald’s and got two breakfast burritos and a caramel frappuccino, “Tempelmeier said. “I just didn’t eat, and my body got used to it. I started to get hungry, so I was losing the weight I wanted because of how I ate, and I liked the result.”

Coaches need to pay attention to how they talk to student athletes, according to Pick.

“If a coach maintains a positive coaching style, there is usually less pressure on athletes who need to be overly concerned about their weight and appearance … I saw the coach say,” Hey. , You look like you wore some. ” You really need to be careful about how you deal with certain things, “Pick said.

Diana Wilson Jones, assistant coach for women’s basketball, said she was happy that one of the players was confident and confident.

“I actually had a player. She came to me and said,” I think I’m in trouble and have an eating disorder, “and came without any judgment. I was happy to hear from you. It was a big deal for me for this player to come to me, as most athletes go to friends or try to deal with them themselves, “said Wilson Jones.

Amo said coach pressure contributed to the development of her eating disorder. She said athletes respect coaches and what they say about athletes can really have an impact.

“I was watching D-1 when I was in the third year of high school. [schools] Outside of my hometown of Houston. I run an obstacle course as one of my events, [the coaches there] He said to me, “Yes, your feet are like horse feet, so I think it’s great in an obstacle course. It’s great because you’re sturdy enough to overcome those barriers.” And I always I don’t know that I have self-consciousness, “Amo said.

Although not much discussed, men also suffer from eating disorders. Kerr said the approach to helping someone through an eating disorder does not depend on gender.

“Men are very misrepresented in their perception of what eating disorders look like. It’s not discriminatory. It affects both what the study shows and what you’re reading about it. But men report less often. They don’t ask for help with it as often as women. It may just be a stereotype and men have body image problems. It may be a social thing to say that is not forgiven, but they do. I think men and women are the same because they are struggling like women, “Kerr said.

According to Pick, the process of encouraging men to seek help with unhealthy food relationships does not appear to be different between male and female athletes.

“If you’re really investing in building relationships with your coaching kids, you can have open and honest discussions, whether it’s male or female. Ultimately. Always return to the actual value of weight or some aesthetic rating. If they know what you care about and you have regular open discussions with them, you have a tougher discussion. You can. Without it, it could be very difficult, “Pick said.

Pick said he believes that eating disorders can be as prevalent in male athletes as female athletes.

“It can be very similar to a soccer player. There are big and tough male soccer players, but the situation is similar. The coach tells them how much better if they lose weight. Start talking, and you see the same thing, “Pick said.

According to Kerr, social media can help promote body dysmorphic disorders. Body dysmorphic disorder is when the image of looking at yourself in the mirror is significantly distorted from reality or the perspective of others.

“”[Social media is] It propagated that way. It’s everywhere, this ideal image of what people should look like and how they should behave, and it’s like we’re always exposed to it, it’s people Set this really impossible standard that they think they have because it is. I think it makes our own body more conscious. We’re trying to meet that standard, so we criticize ourselves for every little thing, “Kerr said.

Tisdale says he was following a fitness account on a social media page that posted training, diet, and a lean body. Currently, she isn’t following a fitness account unless they’re more positive and focused on enjoying the sport they play, rather than losing weight. She says switching social media helped her, and she also follows several people who posted about her experiences with eating disorders.

“I’m a little different. People who have come out on the other side of eating disorders and can now act a bit like normal people and enjoy eating and exercising.” I’m glad to see you. “Tissdale said.

Tizdale said no one knew and wasn’t fully prepared when he first moved to Denton. When she returned to her hometown of Wichita Falls, she was able to be familiar somewhere and began to heal. The move also made it possible for her to return to her support group and therapist with whom she had met for years. She said she began to feel recovered when she was 21 years old.

“I don’t know if I’ve recovered completely, but I think there are times when it’s not just food that I’m thinking about. Now it’s not always at the forefront of my mind. This is me. It’s great because I’m sociable and I don’t have to worry about things. I can build healthy relationships with people, “Tisdale said. “Of course my parents were listening and my friends were listening, so I think it was hard to talk to someone, but they didn’t really understand.”

Amo hesitated to give recovery advice in the form of a comprehensive statement, as each case is different.

“Go to see a nutritionist. Try to set up a balanced diet. Everyone who has met a nutritionist seems to be very happy with their lifestyle plans. The nutritionist is certainly , A person who doesn’t knock on the door as often as needed, “says Amo.

Tempelmeier said he began to develop healthy eating habits when he transferred to MSU. This is because I got up before 6 am, exercised, started metabolism, and wanted to eat. However, due to the habits you made during the first few years of college, you may have a hard time remembering to eat regularly.

“I was very depressed in the old school because of my surroundings and circumstances, and that wasn’t what I expected to be. It was like culture shock when I was transferred. It was like I was alive. It was like a whole new life I was having, which definitely helped me understand that “what you are doing is not okay”, Tempelmeier said.

Mr. Kerr said he encourages students to contact the counseling center whatever they may be struggling with.

“Reach out. Call the counseling center. If it’s a friend and you’re too nervous or scared to talk to someone, be the one who connects them to your resources. Walk here. Please. Call us together. Talk to us, “Kerr said.