It is estimated 10 to 20 percent of all college students have some type of eating disorder, and help is just around the corner.

Several services in the NIU and DeKalb communities offer care, either free or on a sliding fee scale, for students with such disorders.

“Eating disorders are serious disorders, but disorders you can get help for,” said Rick Johnson, community education coordinator at the Ben Gordon Community Center. “You need not feel alone or secretive.”

Four main areas on campus offer care for students with eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia or compulsive overeating. The resources of the University Health Service, the Counseling and Student Development Center, Psychology Services and the Family Center are free to NIU students, and appointments are necessary.

All four centers are recommended since eating disorders involve physical as well as psychological problems, said Health Center Nutritionist Annie Chen.

The health center and Student Development Center work closely to provide students with all necessary care. The health center will examine students for physical problems associated with the disorder to make an assessment of physical condition.

The health center nutritionist will “try to put the pieces together by talking about the student’s problem and figuring out the best way to deal with it,” Chen said. Modifying one’s diet is one method.

“There’s a lot of people that don’t come for help who have disorders,” Chen said.

The Counseling and Student Development Center offers individual and group counseling for individuals who are screened, said director Kathy Hotelling.

The center also has a bulimia group each semester, which includes an average of 60 students. Anorexics and compulsive overeaters, however, “are not best treated in a group,” Hotelling said.

The center also has offered information sessions, which focused on “explaining symptoms and how people can deal with friends who have eating disorders,” Hotelling said.

Psychology Services, through graduate assistants, help students with psychological problems which can arise as a result of an eating disorder.

The NIU Family Center offers individual and group counseling. “Quite a few students (with eating disorders) have been seen,” said director Anthony Heath. Out of an average 20 clients daily, usually 3 or 4 have eating disorders, he said. “It is clearly a very serious problem in the university community.”

Two local services also exist to aid students with eating disorders. The Ben Gordon Center offers an eating disorders group, which began last month, Johnson said. Mainly for anorexics and bulimics, the group meets Mondays from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

The group’s main goal is to “help persons identify the anxieties that trigger the binges and to find skills to replace those behaviors,” Johnson said.

Although students “can get a lot out of a group setting,” the center also offers individual counseling, Johnson said.

Another off-campus group to aid persons with eating disorders is Overeaters Anonymous, which includes more than 50 members. Group members use only first names.

OA follows the 12-step approach used by Alcoholics Anonymous. For example, no dues, weigh-ins or participation is expected. “You can go to the meetings and not say or do anything,” said Millie D., answering service secretary. Meetings are held weekly at Kishwaukee Hospital.

OA is “a very good program to get your life in order,” she said.

A national organization also focuses on those with weight loss problems. Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders is a resource for such individuals, said ANAD Administrator Dawn Ries.

Whatever the problem, with help and understanding, “over time, you can overcome,” Johnson said.

These are the addresses and phone numbers of centers that can help those with eating disorders:

-‘ University Health Service (753-1311)

-‘ Counseling and Student Development Center, Swen Parson Hall (753-1206)

-‘ Psychology Services, Psychology-Mathematics Building (753-0591)

-‘ NIU Family Center, 429 Garden Road (753-1684)

-‘ Ben Gordon Community Center, 12 Health Service Drive (756-4876)

-‘ Overeaters Anonymous, 1109 S. First St. (758-5864)

-‘ Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Eating Disorders Hotline (312-831-3438)