In preparation for national eating disorder awareness week I logged on to the Tufts Health and Wellness page to find what resources were available for students suffering with disordered eating. While there were instructions for how to set up an appointment with an on-campus mental health counselor, I was surprised to find that there was not a nutritionist listed as a resource. After calling mental health services I was informed that there is no nutritionist on staff for eating disorder counseling, but there was someone who could show me easy ways to be gluten free or vegan in the dining hall… On their website, Tufts Mental Health Services states that, “If you have a more significant eating disorder, we make a team approach to giving you the treatment you need. The team may include a medical clinician, mental health counselor, and a nutritionist. We can give you information about nutritionists in the local area.”
Even if the student has a “significant” enough disorder to qualify for the team approach, they still must venture off campus to find a nutritionist which can be quite expensive. I understand that it is not practical for Tufts to offer long term nutrition counseling for students with significant disorders who need constant medical attention However, someone with disordered eating who does not require constant medical attention can benefit from even a single visit to a nutritionist. In one visit a nutritionist can do the following: disprove food myths and misconceptions that could be contributing to the student’s disorder, devise a food plan based on the patient’s needs, navigate what a particular patient needs to be healthy, and serve as a resource for any food related questions a patient might have.
In the Boston area a number of schools provide nutrition counseling, including Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern University, Babson College, Harvard University, Wellesley College, UMass, and Brandeis University. During my search I was unable to find a university in the area without nutrition services, except Tufts.
While learning how to have a balanced diet in Dewick or Carm as a vegan or someone with a dietary restriction is important, I do not think that should be the only nutrition service Tufts offers. Tufts has one of the best graduate nutrition schools in the world, making it even more preposterous that undergraduate students do not have access any nutrition counseling on campus. According to the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, “It is estimated that clinical eating disorders affect ten to twenty percent of female university students and four to ten percent of male university students.” Equating these statistics to the Tufts campus estimates that Tufts could have anywhere from 262 to 524 females and 104 to 261 males suffering with disordered eating, and they do not have access to a nutritionist.