Each day to carry out the stressful activities of a pre-med student, Jenny would grab a bagel, a granola bar and a few grapes as a bite to eat for the entire day.

Her goals were set high by her parents, and particularly by herself. Besides classes, Jenny (not her real name) worked five days a week and was involved with two student organizations.

As her day wound down at 2 a.m., there was hardly any time for sleep, let alone dinner. She had to awaken at 7 a.m. to repeat her daily routine. Candy, cookies or anything with an trace of sugar was out of the question, especially since her life was ruled by her weight.

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Every morning I would get on and off the scale a few times, said Jenny, a senior in microbiology from Decatur. And when I got on the scale it tended to rule me. When it said 98 pounds I was happy. But, when it said 100 pounds I was upset.

I cried all the time. I just felt that I was constantly living up to so many things. My self-esteem was just shot, and it was so painful deciding what I wanted to eat.

Jenny’s painful habits began when she was 16, but she did not realize she suffered from anorexia nervosa as a freshman at SIUC four years ago.

Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating are characterized by excessive concern with shape and weight and severe disturbances in eating behavior.

Anorexia nervosa is when people are severely underweight. People with bulimia nervosa are at or above normal weight. Binge eating is similar to bulimia except there is not as much concern about weight or body shape.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, more than five million Americans suffer from eating disorders.

Behavior similar to Jenny’s, has sparked SIUC’s conjunction with hundreds of other colleges across the country in the National Eating Disorders Program this week during Eating Disorders Awareness Week.

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Dr. Laura Lyn, a psychologist at the SIUC Counseling Center, will conduct screening for students who believe they may have an eating disorder. Students will watch a video, complete a survey and meet with a health-care professional.

Lyn said most people, even those with eating disorders, do not know the symptoms or the reasoning behind the behavior. Some college students may be at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder than others.

When students come to college they are making a big transition, she said. It’s difficult to leave home for the first time. They have a feeling that they are not in control, and the easiest thing to control sometimes is eating. It’s a control thing.

Lyn said eating disorders involve excessive exercise, distorted body images and purging. Treatment for an eating disorder, can include counseling by a psychologists, physicians, nutritionists and dietitians.

However, most people with eating disorders do not receive treatment. They fail to realize they have a problem.

There’s also a lot of denial. Some don’t think it is having any affect on them. And there are some who are not being aware of how much it’s actually affecting their mind and body, Lyn said.

Jenny refers to her eating habits and body image during her freshman year as horrible. She once dropped to 90 pounds before realizing she had a problem.

All her life she had been told by society, especially the media, being fat was unhealthy.

A lot of times the media portrays this image, she said. I see all these Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers commercials. Then I hear how guys talk about how they like models, and it gives the impression that women have to look like that.

When I looked in the mirror all I saw was a fat stomach. My biggest problem was that I didn’t like any part of my body. It was more psychological how I felt I had no control over my life.

Now after two and a half years of recovery, Jenny has retaken control of her life. She eats balanced meals of broiled skinless chicken, broccoli, pasta and fruit. For dessert she eats a piece of candy and granola bars, her favorite.

She continues to visit with the dietitian and psychologist provided for her by the SIUC Counseling Center to discuss her progress.

It’s kind of a safety blanket so I’ll know that I’m OK, Jenny said. I’ve had so much good help through it. Now I’m 100 percent better and the overall picture is that I can accept myself and be happy.

Virginia Hoffman, a psychologist Jenny worked with, said counseling with a group or individual like Jenny makes the pain easier to cope with. She recommends people recovering from an eating disorder continue seeing a counselor.

In group counseling, students find out that there are others with the same problem, she said. In individual counseling, we get to the underlying problem. With an eating disorder, there is usually a number of factors. It’s never just one thing.

It’s about students not recognizing the potential and resources that they have. During the recovery process it helps that they continue to see us for maybe one or two years to be complete.

Jenny is happy with herself and plans to teach more people about eating disorders. For starters, she recommends people even those who do not have eating disorders learn more about them, so they can help others.

People don’t really understand it, she said. A lot of people think that it’s about food, and that’s only one part of it. It’s almost impossible to understand it unless you went through it. Someone always knows someone with it.

Factoid:During Eating Disorder Awareness Week, three screenings are scheduled:11 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at the Student Center.

1 to 3 p.m. Wednesday at SIUC Arena

4 to 6 p.m. Thursday at the Recreation Center