Eating disorders (ED) are disturbances between conscious and unconscious associations between hunger and food. Individuals with ED are less aware of why nutrition is important and what foods are essential. It is also due to altered mental health conditions and may affect daily activities. A common problem among medical students forces educational institutions to look for support systems and integrate new policies.
The prevalence of ED is due to the ease with which it can occur in an environment of increased stress. Bizri et al. report that 69% of students have active stressors, and 20% already have a psychiatric disorder (Birzi et al., 2020). They point out that medical students have an increased risk for eating behaviors with serious consequences 59% of the time (Birzi et al., 2020). They state that stigma is one of the triggers for the development of the disease.
High levels of stress can be a predictor of ED.Ehab and Walaa point out that for one-third of medical students, there is a risk of developing ED (Ehab & Walaa, 2020). Fekih-Romdhane et al. found that the overall prevalence of ED symptoms in medical students is 17.35% (Fekih-Romdhane et al., 2022). The risk of ED varies: the highest rate is found in Lebanon, while it is insignificant in Austria. Consequently, the problem of ED among medical students is urgent and requires attention.
The reason for the study is the increasing number of individuals suffering from ED worldwide. The brief review does not observe data on how the university/college environment affects students, so it is necessary to prioritize the factors for developing ED. The present study is needed to clarify the factors that lead to the development of ED: whether stress is the main one or whether medical education conditions exist. The study’s relevance is due to the weak current policies of educational institutions regarding psychological support for students regarding ED.
References
Bizri, M., Geagea, L., Kobeissy, F., & Talih, F. (2020). Prevalence of eating disorders among medical students in a Lebanese medical school: A cross-sectional study. Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment, 16, 1879–1887.
Ehab, A. A., & Walaa, W. S. (2020). Eating disorder risk among medical students at Tanta University, Egypt. The Egyptian Journal of Community Medicine, 38(4), 17-23.
Fekih-Romdhane, F., Daher-Nashif, S., Alhuwailah, A. H., Al Gahtani, H. M. S., Hubail, S. A., Shuwiekh, H. A. M., Khudhair, M. F., Alhaj, A. A., Bragazzi, N. L., & Jahrami, H. (2022). The prevalence of feeding and eating disorders symptomology in medical students: an updated systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Eating and Weight Disorders – Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 27(1991–2010).