Talking about eating disorders can be a touchy subject.

Brooke Johnson, president of the Student Health Advisory Committee, knows that, but she still encouraged students to listen not only to their bodies, but to professionals who can help them as a part of a resource fair in the Lied Recreation Center on Tuesday.

The fair, sponsored by Student Counseling Services and the Student Health Wellness Center, was part of National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. This year’s theme is “Listen to Your Body.”

Brooks Morse, psychologist and coordinator of eating disorder treatment services at Student Counseling Services, said the week is a public outreach effort geared to educate students about eating disorders and their serious consequences.

The fair’s focus on overall health, in addition to disorders, opened it to a broader audience, Morse said.

“If we say it’s just about eating disorders, most people will think `It’s not about me’ – and `it’s not about everyone,’ ” she said.

However, Morse said, eating disorders affect more students at Iowa State than most people realize or will admit.

“We get a lot of phone calls from family, staff and friends of people who might have eating disorders,” she said. “It’s a miserable experience to have an eating disorder, and those people [with them] are scared to change.

“They often use the eating disorder as a security, to make them feel in control when their lives are out of control,” Morse said.

She said many factors can trigger eating disorders in men and women.

“The transition to college, the stress of college, pressure in general, and culture all are playing factors,” Morse said. “Media, life events [and] dieting all set somebody up for an eating disorder.”

Amber Long, Student Health Advisory Committee member, said students can often be tempted not just by dieting, but also by fast food.

“Just stay active and try to keep a healthful attitude when making choices,” said Long, junior in community health education.

Student Counseling Services is available to ISU students free, except for some minimal costs if testing is done.

The program offers assessments of eating disorders, individual and group counseling, and referrals to student dietitians, physicians or hospital treatments if appropriate.

“Our role [at Student Counseling Services] is mostly treatment, some education,” Morse said.

About 5 to 10 million females and 1 million males suffer from disorders or bordering variations, according to a brochure from the National Eating Disorders Association.

Of those, about 50 percent had put themselves on strict diets beforehand, Morse said.

“I encourage people not to diet, to respect their bodies,” Morse said. “Health comes in many forms.”