Content warning: This article discusses disordered eating.

Living with an eating disorder sucks.

But you know what sucks even more?

Being thrown into responsibility, making your own food, managing your own issues and making sure that you don’t do anything that can damage your progress.

I was diagnosed with Anorexia at 16, and from then until university I relied heavily on my parents for food related support.

They would cook, they would track my intake, they would support me. As you can imagine, this made the shift to university much more daunting.

I had come so far, and I felt like I was going to fall back.

In the few months that I’ve been at university, I have learnt and developed some positive habits that have really helped me. Below, I’ll share them, with the hope that it might help someone as much as they’ve helped me.

Have easy, low effort meals available

It is important that you eat enough, even if you’re thoughts are screaming – so try to have something available to grab or make that you can eat more easily when in this mindset.

Personally, vegetable samosas and peanut butter are great options when I’m in this mindset. Add a bag of crisps, or something else carb-y, and you’re golden. I often add a fruit bar as well, as it is easy to take and feels less overwhelming.

Peanut butter, while a bit daunting, is a great thing to have if you’re not allergic. It lasts forever, and provides a lot of protein and nutrients. Just stick it on some bread, or a cracker, or even vegetables.

There is absolutely no shame in having a ready made meal in your fridge for dinner (or whatever your large meal of the day is). You need to eat and convenience is often necessary to help in moments of struggle.

Have food safe spaces

Food causes me anxiety. Having it in my room can really stress me out, and being able to check the nutritional information at any time makes me feel even worse.

I know that this can cause even more anxiety in people who experience binging as, if the urge comes, it is much more accessible. Keeping your food in the kitchen can help create a less anxiety-inducing environment.

You may choose bring items of food into your room at the beginning of the day, or at intervals throughout. You can always keep a few snacks in your room in case you feel like you can’t get to the kitchen – for whatever reason.

Eating is more important than your budget

Everyone always talks about budgeting as a student. Of course, this is important. However, its different if you are experiencing an eating disorder.

Your priority should be your health. If that means you buy a meal every day, that’s fine. Don’t criticise yourself for it. You need to eat and that is the most important thing.

Don’t let your fears of breaking your budget cause you to skip meals.

I know that sometimes, like I mentioned with the low effort meals, it is hard to cook and make food. If you can’t deal with that and are having an especially bad food day, buy something.

There are some shops, especially small and local ones, that don’t include nutritional information on labels, which can help even more.

Talk to others about your feelings

This is definitely the hardest one on this list. But its also the most important.

Make sure your GP is aware of your situation, and make a wellbeing advisor aware as well. They can support you in ways you don’t know, and they will not judge you. They can signpost you to resources or give their own suggestions.

Friends are equally important. You may worry about opening up, but that’s what friends are there for. I assure you that they would rather know and understand than worry endlessly about what’s going on with you. They can provide support if you need it, or even just someone to rant to.

I also spoke to Claire Pratt, the Deputy Director of Student Services, about her recommendations for any students who may be struggling. Here are her responses and recommendations.

What would you recommend for someone at university who is struggling with an eating disorder?

The first step is recognising that you might be struggling with eating-related issues. This can feel really hard, but it’s an important step. If someone expresses concern, try to stay open to what they’re saying—it usually comes from a place of care.

If you think you might be experiencing difficulties, talk to someone. Reach out to UEA support services or a trusted person. Our team is here to listen, guide, and help you explore what’s going on. Speaking to professionals can feel daunting, but they’re here to support you without judgment. The more open you can be, the better we can work together to find the right help for you.

What services do you provide that can help?

UEA Student Journey and Support Services (SJS) offer a range of wellbeing and academic support.

While we don’t provide specialist eating disorder treatment, that does not mean that students can’t come to SJS with concerns about eating related issues or eating disorders, we strongly encourage students to come to see us with anything that they are struggling with or would like to explore more. 

The team will always see a student and work with them to agree a way forward, some of the support may be from the UEA services, some may need to be with NHS services or other specialist providers, but the SJS team will guide students through this journey and ensure that they receive support they need. 

We can:

Listen and guide you through your options. Speak to an Adviser

Provide non specialist talking therapy Talking Therapies

Access to wellbeing workshops and groups Wellbeing Workshops

Connect you with specialist services like NHS Eating Disorder Services (NCEDS).

Provide reasonable and assessment adjustments for diagnosed conditions, including eating disorders.UEA Student Services – Reasonable AdjustmentsUEA Student Services – Assessment Adjustments

Support Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) applications for additional resources and support. Disabled Students’ Allowances

Work closely with the University Medical Practice and the eating disorder lead GP to ensure joined-up care.

Signpost to external organisations such as BEAT and Eating Matters.

You can find full details on our MyUEA pages Student Services – UEA

We also have a self-help/signposting service hosted on Blackboard, the student service HUB Content / Student Services Hub

Are there any external services you would recommend?

Yes, we recommend:

BEAT – the UK’s leading eating disorder charity.                       

Eating Matters – local counselling support in Norfolk. [

Your GP – essential for referrals to NHS specialist services like NCEDS (Norfolk Community Eating Disorder Service).

Full details and links are on our Student Services Hub page Document.

I’d like to encourage anyone struggling with eating related issues to reach out, you do not have to manage this alone, there is support here for you at UEA and specialist support available locally and nationally which we can help you access.

 It might help students to know that our services are really accessible, we will get back to you within 2 working days of you contacting us if emailing or using the online referral, or you can see someone right away for in the SIZ to talk about accessing support. 

Our mental health and disability advisors offer appointments within 10 working days as do our talking therapists. 

Details on how to access the service can be found here Mental Health or by popping into the SIZ where we have in person advisors available to talk you though your options Student Information Zone (SIZ).

Image credit: Micah Petyt