Eating disorders in the spotlight

A year ago, freshman Kat Norcutt only ate salads with particular toppings. Beans and peppers were acceptable. A little bit of oil could be added, but not enough to saturate her food with calories.

Norcutt, who considers herself recovered from an eating disorder, started having problems with food her junior year of high school. They have followed her all the way to UNC.

According to a poll taken by the National Eating Disorders Association in 2006, nearly 20 percent of students on college campuses in America admit to having an eating disorder.

Focused on food

Norcutt said she began having body image problems around age 6. In high school, pressures to succeed led her to cope with the stress by controlling her food intake.

“I dropped 15 to 20 pounds in about three to four months,” she said. “The more calories I could burn, the better. That was my exact thought process.”

Her friends shared concerns about her rapid weight loss, but Norcutt never received professional help.

“My body actually started to shut down,” she said.

“Occasionally I’d binge on a bunch of cookies, but I’d feel selfish for taking in all of that. I felt bad for breaking my rules, and though it was totally secretive, I was still embarrassed.”

Her past problems with food still linger today.

“I’m not constantly focused on food. But if I’m really craving a piece of pizza, I still think to myself, ‘You shouldn’t be eating cheese,’” she said.

Prevention and cures

Millie Maxwell, postdoctoral and clinical instructor at the UNC eating disorder program, has started PACE (Pathway to Awareness in College Eating) at UNC to promote general health and prevent eating disorders. The program, which began this year, is the first of its kind in the U.S.

PACE offers basic nutrition information, optional anonymous chats with specialized eating disorder counselors online and a group forum to discuss relevant issues.

“The bottom line is we want to prevent and stop eating disorders, and make lives better for those who are struggling, because eating disorders are life-threatening illnesses,” Maxwell said.

Interactive Theater Carolina has also taken an interest in educating students about eating disorders by performing skits on eating disorders.

“It’s been very positive in just pointing out the fact that eating disorders are realistic by allowing the audience to interact, engage the theater and ask the hard questions,” said Ben Saypol, director of Interactive Theater Carolina.

Norcutt, who aspires to be a journalist, hopes her eating disorder days are over.

“I realized that imprisoning my eating wasn’t going to help anything else.”


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