IntroductionRight now, there are students on every college campus who are slowly committing suicide. Every day they get closer to death. Most have become experts at hiding their condition and walk around like any other college student. Some show no signs or clues of this slow death. Many of these dying students are active on campus and have a 4.0 GPA, others rush onto campus unseen, but both self-inflict painful deaths. This may sound extremely dramatic, but that's exactly what eating disorders are: for these students, and for anyone suffering from an eating disorder, death is one of the most undeniable and the most probable. This is not what the “normal” or “typical” student looks like, but eating disorders affect a large portion of the higher education population; and overlooking the importance of this subculture could and has impacted every institution across the country. Students with eating disorders are a subculture that student affairs professionals should be aware of and educated about. There are many myths and stereotypes about how someone with an eating disorder looks or behaves and it can be easy to overlook the seriousness of these students and the impact that their eating disorders have. diet can have on their lives. Background and History Eating disorders are not new and this subpopulation has always been present on the campus of every university with or without the knowledge of the institution. A student affairs professional could, on any given day, be working with a student with an eating disorder and completely ignore them. According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), 40% of female students have...... middle of paper ...... (2nd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated. Farrell, A. (2011). Big shame. New York, NY: New York University Press. Hesse-Biber, S. (1996). Am I still thin enough? New York, NY: Oxford University Press. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) (2013). Eating disorder statistics. Retrieved from http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA). (2007). Toolbox for the educator. Retrieved from http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/educator-toolkitCenter for Social Issues Research. (2013). Totally under control. Retrieved from http://www.sirc.org/articles/totally_in_control2.shtml Zwerling, E. (2013). The Web provides a window into eating disorders. Women's Enews, retrieved from http://womensenews.org/story/health/030916/web-opens-window-eating-disorders