The stress of college and being away from home for the first time can lead students to harmful and unhealthy eating habits.

Eating disorders can range from small problems with a diet to bulimia, anorexia and overeating.

“The number of students that are seeking help with an eating disorder has increased in the past three or four years,” said Melanie Burns, an associate family and consumer sciences professor.

Nutrition Education Coordinator Amanda Goetze sometimes sees students referred to her by doctors in health services when there seems to be a need to assess the student’s diet to identify a possible eating disorder.

Goetze has students fill out forms giving her consent to analyze their diet. Students then fill out an information packet concerning their height, weight and other important facts that could contribute to an accurate diagnosis. Students also fill out a three-day food record so Goetze can look at their diet and discuss exercise habits.

The purpose of the three-day food record is to “see how their eating compares to what’s recommended for them,” Goetze said. “Most of the people that I see are generally not eating enough.”

Some people who have lost some control in their life decide to exert that control over their diet, Goetze said. They control what, if and when they eat and whether to purge their food. Purging is not only limited to vomiting and excessive use of laxatives, but also involves compulsive exercise, where students exercise for “several hours a day and are burning extreme numbers of calories during exercise,” Burns said.

Eastern also has an eating disorders treatment team. Burns is the registered dietitian on the team. Burns’ job is to analyze the nutritional content of a student’s diet and to discuss feelings and eating habits with that student. Then, Burns and the student discuss eating and exercise plans for the future.

“Usually at the same time, (doctors are) referring the student to the counseling center, as well,” Goetze said.

The counseling center offers free self-help brochures involving eating disorders, free workshops and counseling to people who suffer from eating disorders.

Brenda Crawford, a faculty assistant at the Counseling Center, will give a workshop at 7:30 p.m. tonight in the Effingham Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union that will aim to educate students about eating disorders and what they can do to find help.