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Impossible Image: Eating Disorders Can Develop When Societal Pressures Overwhelm Students, Alicia Nemiccolo Macleay

Colby Magazine

When Stephanie Looney '02 says she battled anorexia for six years, she means it. Every second, every day, was consumed by her obsession. Even sleep didn't bring a reprieve. "I used to dream about food," Looney said. "I'd have terrifying nightmares that I ate a bowl of cereal."

Looney, a bright, articulate woman who is now leaning towards a forensic science career, developed anorexia when she was 14 and became overwhelmed with pressures. She was participating in sports year-round, found she had to start working to earn those once-assumed A's and was experiencing a home life she describes as "miserable". …