At this University 3 to 4 percent of the women are bulimic. These women may not be receiving the help they need to recover and lead healthy, productive lives. They may not be aware of the problem.

Last night about 150 people attended a student-to-student panel discussion in the HUB Ballroom which addressed the problem of eating disorders.

Student Counselors / Campus Life Assistance Center sponsored the discussion. Members of the panel included student counselors, a residence hall representative, a sorority member and a recovering bulimic. All the panelists have dealt with eating disorders and stressed that body image, peer pressure and media images affect how people see themselves and what is perceived to be the "perfect body."

Jennifer Pinter, a recovering anorexic and student counselor, suffered from anorexia for over four years. She had been overweight before dieting became an obsession, she said. New friends, requests for dates and a feeling of control urged her to continue losing weight, but she lost so much weight that her friends and family became worried.

"It just got out of control," she said. "I didn't know what I was doing to myself. The first thing I got was, 'If you don't start eating, you're not going to college.' Of course, I started eating (at home), but when I got to school it would start all over again."

Pinter suggested that people approach eating disorders indirectly when trying to convince a victim to get help.

"You have to figure out what's going on with this person to make this drastic change in their life," Pinter said.

University professionals who deal with eating disorders suggested that if the situation becomes life-threatening, friends should make sure the person sees a physician.

Warning signs of anorexia include drastic weight loss, preoccupation with food, relentless exercise and mood swings. Warning signs of bulimia include strict dieting, binge eating, bathroom visits after meals and depression.

Members of the audience pointed out the need not to judge others by just appearance. Several people commented that the media image of the perfect body places a lot of pressure on young people to be thin.

"A lot of people don't feel good about themselves even if someone says they look good," said Chris Burke (sophomore-accounting).

It is important to feel good about yourself and how you look, Burke added.