There's more to eating disorders than eating.
MSU graduate student Tiffany Titus knows this firsthand after suffering from both anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa for more than five years, she said.
"It's a way to deal with emotions I don't want to deal with," Titus said.
This week, she is helping the group Respecting and Understanding Body Image get attention for the problem as part of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
Tuesday night, the group held "Take Back Your Body" night at Wonders Kiva. More than 70 people attended the open forum, where images of women of all shapes and sizes lined the walls of the room.
Attendees discussed body image issues and the image of female perfection projected in society. Some discussed their own psychological issues with their bodies.
Social work junior Cherie Langkabel brought many friends and members of her family with her to the forum where she planned to speak about her battles with an eating disorder, she said.
There is too much pressure put on young people to appear a certain way and too many struggle secretly with disorders.
"I'm scared," Langkabel said. "But it is something I have to do."
Titus said these kinds of events help stress the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
"It gets people to understand our group and what we stand for," Titus said. "It gets you thinking that we shouldn't think about fat calories."
Throughout the week, RUBI plans to highlight other issues stemming from eating disorders. On Monday, group members passed out information at the International Center. They plan to pass out Twix bars around campus today as part of Wednesday Without Worry - which members say encourages students not to worry about incorporating sweets into a balanced diet.
About 2 to 5 percent of women on college campuses currently have eating disorders, and campus statistics indicate about three times that number already have the risk factors that lead to disorders, said Ronda Bokram, an Olin Health Center nutritionist and the group's adviser.
Events such as RUBI's are vitally important to help raise awareness, said Kari Augustyn, spokeswoman for the National Eating Disorders Association. Eating disorders affect 35 million people in the United States, she said.
"We've had people come to us and say they first sought treatment because of these events," Augustyn said.
The theme of this year's week is to unmask the real problem behind the disorders, Augustyn said.
"These are illnesses, not choices," she said.
People need to understand that struggles with eating are psychological problems, Titus said. She has gone to therapy for two and a half years for her problem, she said. Educating others about eating disorders is therapeutic, she said.
"The more I help others, the more it helps me realize what I'm doing needs to stop," Titus said. "I need to focus on more important things.
"They said how skinny I looked, but all I could see was I was fat."
