Treating eating disorders at Penn

Penn’s campus is served by 11 honor societies, 14 publications and countless a cappella groups — but there is no group for students concerned that their roommate makes herself throw up in the bathroom or refuses to leave the gym before finishing up his second hour that day.

Penn Counseling and Psychological Services and other University staff handle treatment for students with disordered eating habits mostly without organized student involvement.

Discerning the extent of eating disorders is never easy — people with eating disorders tend to be secretive, and not all students with eating disorders seek treatment for them, said CAPS director William Alexander.

CAPS does not track patient diagnoses and Alexander was unable to state how many students CAPS treats for eating disorders on a yearly basis.

Despite this, disordered eating is a “pretty severe” problem and one of the top four or five issues CAPS treats, Alexander said. Additionally, some students choose to seek treatment outside of Penn.

“To my knowledge, the prevalence of students with eating disorders is pretty consistent,” said Student Health Service director Evelyn Wiener. “We’re not necessarily seeing large shifts in either direction.”

While the majority of students seek treatment voluntarily, some are referred to CAPS by resident assistants, trainers, doctors and individual students, Alexander said.

A handful of students each year take a medical leave of absence for treatment, and about as many enter treatment unwillingly.

“It is possible to manage or to treat someone with an eating disorder against their will,” Wiener said. But she added, “It’s never quite as successful as if they’re willing.”

Students with eating disorders can be referred to the Eating Concerns Treatment Team, an organization of staff from multiple departments on campus, including CAPS psychologists, dieticians, trainers, and three SHS doctors.

The ECTT designs and carries out individual treatment plans.

Both Wiener and Alexander emphasize the importance of peers in identifying students with eating disorders and encouraging them to seek treatment.

“I think the thing that persuades students to come is usually somebody in their own social community expressing concern,” Wiener said. “If there are a group of students and they’re all reinforcing disordered eating behaviors and choices, that sends a very different message than a similar group of students all suggesting and encouraging their friend to seek treatment.”

While CAPS occasionally partners with student groups such as the Reach-A-Peer helpline or Active Minds to perform outreach, Penn has no student groups devoted to eating-related concerns.

However, CAPS runs a regular support group for students in recovery from eating disorders.

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