Eating disorders, disordered eating, and issues with body image are complicated problems that do not develop over night. There are many misconceptions about how these problems do develop, but knowledge about risk factors can help with prevention and intervention. Risk factors can be classified by type: biological, psychological, social, and interpersonal. Biological. Research has suggested ... [Read more...]
BMI, or body mass index, was a measurement created to determine whether or not an individual is obese or overweight. Recently, however, more studies are showing that BMI isn’t such a great marker for health. BMI doesn’t take into account many important health behaviors such as exercise, nutrition, and sleep. In some studies, many individuals ... [Read more...]
Issues with body image and disordered eating are commonly thought of as problems that primarily affect women and girls. However, there has been an increase in the prevalence of difficulties with body image and eating disorders among men and boys. There are many important discussions surrounding male body image that should be addressed. More and ... [Read more...]
There’s a lot of pressure to make sure that the food you eat is “healthy,” but sometimes, focusing on eating healthy food can go too far. The obsession with and fixation on eating healthy food, known as orthorexia, can be dangerous. For some individuals, genuinely wanting to eat healthy may become a problem if the ... [Read more...]
New pressures in college, including increased responsibilities, workload, and focus on friends and decrease in structure, may mix with anxiety, poor self-esteem, and perfectionism. For some individuals, this may lead difficulties with body image and eating. Social pressures during college may cause someone to believe they need to look or act a certain way. Or, ... [Read more...]
Disordered eating and eating disorders are common issues on college campuses. Disordered eating can include excessive dieting, restricted eating, pre-occupation with food or weight, binge-eating, and/or purging behaviors. The majority of eating disorders onset before the age of 20—early identification of disordered eating behaviors are important before the illness spirals out of control. Eating disorders ... [Read more...]
Who experiences panic attacks? It’s possible to have a panic attack without being diagnosed with any anxiety disorder. It’s also possible to experience recurrent panic attacks when diagnosed with disorders like Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, or Obsessive Compulsive disorder. The symptoms of a panic attack vary from person to person, but common symptoms ... [Read more...]
This week's Be Well: Mindful Yoga mindfulness exercises focus on feelings, emotions, and sensations. When we are mindful of our thoughts, emotions, and sensations, we aren't fighting against them or avoiding them altogether. This helps to reduce stress through acceptance and acknowledgement. Below is this week's exercise. If you would like a downloadable MP3, please ... [Read more...]
Test anxiety can happen to anyone, and it affects some people more than others. Some students sit down for a test and have their mind go completely blank and their stomach twist into knots. Test anxiety can occur for many reasons—fear of failure, past problems with tests, or even genetics. There are many different ways ... [Read more...]
This week's Be Well: Mindful Yoga exercises focus on mindfulness of the breath. This introduction explains how mindful breathing helps us: Here is the exercise. For downloadable MP3 files, please contact wellness@spu.edu