Studies have shown that one in 10 college students may suffer from an eating disorder.

These eating disorders are being tackled in the drama production “The Thin Line,” which will be performed Tuesday.

The performance will feature Abigail Rose Solomon, an actress who has appeared in “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” “Days of Our Lives,” “Sex and the City,” “Law & Order” and “NYPD Blue.”

Add Verb Productions, the company responsible for “The Thin Line,” is dedicated to promoting awareness and dialogue as a means of social change, focusing primarily on activism, according to the group’s Web site.

The company, founded by Cathy Plourde, also presents workshops for schools and universities to display their vision of social change through the arts.

“The show has four characters: a girl with an eating disorder, her friend, her internal negative voice and her mother,” Solomon said.

Solomon has been involved with the drama since 2002, and as a professional actress, she has seen the effects eating disorders have on people.

“If someone had done an assembly like this when I was younger, I would have been like, ‘Hey, this person has an eating disorder or some kind of issue,'” she said.

“I was a yo-yo dieter in high school. By doing that you throw your metabolism off. I would gain more weight after losing it.”

After the show, there will be a question-and-answer session in which a panel from Iowa State consisting of medical doctors, nutritionists, therapists and exercise specialists will be available for discussion.

“Eating disorders can be described as food playing an unhealthy role in someone’s life,” said Michelle Roling, program coordinator for ISU Student Counseling Services.

A person can have an eating disorder in conjunction with other disorders such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse, Roling said. If any of these conditions are present in a person’s family history, there is a chance of being susceptible to eating disorders.

Change in eating patterns, talking negatively, making excuses not to go to social functions and frequent conversations about losing weight are signs that someone is suffering from an eating disorder, she said.

“We’re seeing an increase in eating disorders for males going up faster than the numbers going up for females,” she said.

Eating disorders can be treated medically, but there is no set amount of time needed for recovery. The recovery process can be addressed with medication or other techniques such as building up self-esteem, Roling said.

The first step, however, is to seek help from a professional, she said.

“The sooner you get help, the sooner you will recover.”