Eating Concerns & Body Image

Health & Wellness provides services, education, and support to help you address eating concerns and body image.

To find events and programs related to body positivity, eating concerns, nutrition, and more, visit:

Events, Workshops, and Classes

 

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UNH Eating Concerns Treatment Team

The UNH Eating Concerns Treatment Team offers comprehensive care services for students with eating concerns. The team includes clinicians (a physician, nurse practitioners, and a psychiatrist), a registered dietitian from UNH Health & Wellness, and mental health counselors from Psychological and Counseling Services (PACS).  
 

How much will this cost?  

Your UNH student health fee covers the cost of being seen by any member of our specialized care team at Health & Wellness. Any labs and procedures will incur an out-of-pocket expense or may be billed to insurance.   

Medical Services:  

UNH Health & Wellness providers offer a full scale of culturally competent medical services, within the limits of an out-patient setting, to support physical well-being and ensure medical stability.  

We provide the following services:  

  • Assessment and diagnosis of eating-related concerns and possible overlap with other anxiety or mood disorders. 

  • Physical examination to assess medical stability which includes orthostatic vital signs, blind weigh-ins, and ECG (electrocardiogram- rhythm strip of the heart).  

  • Laboratory examination (blood and urine studies) to evaluate how your body is functioning. 

  • Discussion of a team-based treatment plan including ongoing therapy and nutrition services and medical monitoring integrated with possible medications if indicated.  

  • Manage other medical conditions in addition to eating/ body image related concerns. 

Psychiatric Services: 

  • Patients can see the psychiatrist if deemed necessary by their medical provider. 

  • Advanced assessment for diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder (including eating disorders, anxiety disorders, and mood disorders). 

  • Discussion of a treatment plan which is primarily focused on medications and their associated benefits vs. risks. 

Eating Concerns Team: 

  • Recommendations/ plan of care to help optimize and improve overall health.  

  • Assist with facilitating transfer and completing medical clearance to higher levels of care when necessary, which may include intensive out-patient programming (IOP), partial hospitalization programming (PHP), and residential treatment.  

How much time will this take?  

For your initial appointment, you will be scheduled for a 40-minute in-person appointment with one of the medical providers. Initial appointments may include a physical examination, vital signs, ECG, and lab studies. Additional medical follow-up appointments will be scheduled as needed based on the level of medical stability.  

Make an appointment online or by calling (603) 862-2856 

Nutrition Counseling:  

The Health & Wellness registered dietitian supports students by providing culturally competent medical nutrition therapy to support emotional and physical well-being.   

During your appointment, the registered dietitian will…  

  • Talk with you and acknowledge your food issues and concerns in a safe and confidential atmosphere. 

  • Review the impact of the eating concern(s)/eating disorder on your physical, emotional, and cognitive health. 

  • Work closely with you and medical and psychological services to provide comprehensive care as needed. 

  • Help you develop a healthy relationship with food and normalized eating. 

  • Collaborate with you to personalize nutritional goals, designed according to your readiness to change and your stage of recovery. 

  • Share additional resources. 

How much time will this take?  

Initial appointments with the registered dietitian last 60 minutes, with follow-up appointments lasting 30-60 minutes as needed. The frequency of visits will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Appointments can be in person or via telehealth.  

Make an appointment online or by calling (603) 862-3823 

Psychological and Counseling Services (PACS):  

PACS providers offer culturally competent counseling and psychiatric services in a short-term brief model of care to support emotional well-being in an outpatient setting.  

Therapy Services provided:  

  • Short-term individual treatment.  

  • Specialized group therapy groups each semester  

  • Referral assistance to ED-specialized providers in the community for ongoing care and to Health & Wellness to work with ED-specialized providers through UNH.  

 Make an appointment online or by calling (603) 862-2090 

Resources

  • Recover with MEDA  

  • Adira app - Adira is a Digital Platform for use in the Treatment of Eating Disorders. By digitizing evidence-based treatment methodologies Adira addresses the challenges of scale and accessibility, offering high quality interventions to people suffering from eating disorders, regardless of diagnosis or severity. Using Machine-Learning based tools Adira monitors, analyses and optimizes treatment, offering a personalized user experience. 

 

Campus Resources

What is an eating concern?

Eating concerns include disordered or chaotic eating patterns, and eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. An eating concern may also involve body dissatisfaction, obsession with exercise, or eating that is dictated by externally-connected cues such as counting calories instead of internal controls of hunger and satiety.

Examples include:

  • irregular or chaotic eating 
  • fasting
  • bingeing
  • dieting
  • emotional eating
  • feeling remorse or guilt after eating
  • preoccupation with food and weight
  • over exercising

Signs and symptoms of eating concerns include:

  • Preoccupation with your weight or shape, food, or exercise
  • Isolation or avoidance of social situations because there will be food present
  • Inability to menstruate
  • Feeling out of control while eating or around food
  • A negative attitude about your body, weight, or shape; often comparing yourself to others
  • Unhealthy relationship with food and exercise
  • Extreme weight fluctuations
  • Inability to partake in activities that you used to enjoy
  • Feeling numb and empty inside like your life lacks fulfillment or happiness

An eating disorder includes the following:

  • Anorexia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.
  • Bulimia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating.
  • Binge eating disorder is a type of eating disorder not otherwise specified and is characterized by recurrent binge eating without the regular use of compensatory measures to counter the binge eating.

 

Body Positive Events and Workshops at Health & Wellness

We have several annual events and semester workshops at Health & Wellness to promote positive body images, address eating concerns, and nutrition. These include:

  • Body Acceptance Week: A week of events to promote healthy body image
  • Body Monologues: Real life stories of body image, eating concerns, and self-love, written and performed by UNH students
  • Nutrition Expo: Interactive and fun opportunities to learn more about nutrition, improve your overall health and explore the food and nutrition resources, held during National Nutrition Month in March
  • Eating Concerns Awareness Week: A week of activities designed by ECMs to help raise awareness about eating concerns and disorders

For details about upcoming programs, visit our Events, Workshops, and Classes page.

 

Additional Resources

Are you...

  • Concerned about your eating habits?
  • Afraid to gain weight? 

Take a free online eating disorder screening. This anonymous online screening takes only a few minutes and consists of a series of questions. After completing the screening, you will receive referrals, resources, and more information. This is a helpful first step if you are concerned about your relationship with food and your body. 

START THE SCREENING