LSA freshman Julia Rodgers, insecure about her weight and body image, went on a diet five years ago.

The more compliments about her appearance she received, the more obsessed she became with losing weight, she said.

"I felt like I couldn't get it right," Rodgers said.

Four months later, Rodger's diet had turned into anorexia.

Rodgers was diagnosed with depression several months later, and one year after that she developed bulimia after becoming stressed from school and playing on the tennis team.

Rodgers, who has also suffered from binge eating, is now in recovery.

Because of her own experience, Rodgers said she notices many girls around campus who may be restricting their diet or compulsively exercising.

"I don't think people realize how dangerous it is to go on a diet, even with the best intentions," she said. "I think it's a serious problem."

Rodgers recently began her own informal support group for recovering students, and

University health officials are trying to understand whether or not cases like Rodgers's are becoming more or less common.

Todd Sevig, director of University Counseling and Psychological Services, said 6.1 percent of all University students surveyed in the 2004-2005 academic year reported struggling with a diagnosable eating disorder. Seventy-six percent expressed dissatisfaction with their weight. CAPS conducted another survey last semester, and is not analyzing the data to determine any change in the prevalence of eating disorders on campus.

"Even if a college student doesn't have a diagnosable eating disorder, at least according to this survey, the prevalence of eating issues is very high," Sevig said.

Nationwide, different studies show that the occurrence of eating disorders among college students is somewhere between 3 and 20 percent. The wide range of findings from different studies makes it difficult to determine if the disorders are becoming more or less common, said Erica Dodde, the eating disorders and body image health educator at University Health Services.

UHS Director Robert Winfield said his impression is that eating disorders have been increasing across college campuses over the past decade, and are certainly increasing in men.

Winfield said the three main eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder, but the occurrence of symptoms not severe enough to diagnose are more common.

The University uses a three-pronged approach to treat students who seek help with eating disorders, Dodde said.

Students meet with a CAPS clinician, a UHS clinician and a nutritionist, she said.

Programs like the Coalition for Action Regarding Eating and Body Image Issues and Peers Utilizing Leadership Skills for Education also sponsor campus events to discuss body image issues and train students in the residence halls to act as informal support groups.

Dodde said that many students struggle with disordered eating and body image concerns at some point during their college careers, even if the problems aren't severe enough to be diagnosable.