T_ _ _ _The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 10, 1994 - 3 . Program s By ROBIN BARRY DAILY STAFF REPORTER Yesterday's "Friends Helping Friends" pro- gram, one of the many events commemorating Eating Disorder Awareness Week, highlighted ways to detect and assist people suffering from eating disorders. Most in attendance said they had experi- enced eating disorder symptoms first hand or noted symptoms in a friend or family member. And members said that anyone could have an eating disorder and not know it - unless they knew what to look for. Dr. Maria Beye, a psychologist with a pri- vate practice on East University Avenue has worked with eating disorder cases for about 19 years. She deals mainly with students and staff uggests wa. from the University. Beye presented a short lecture on the early signs of eating disorders, which included the following physical changes: weight change - gradual at first - and, slowly becoming obsessive, hypothermia, changes in metabolism, inability to control body temperature, loss of body fat and muscle slows heart rate, digestive problems and inefficient food intake leads to cramping or constipation, skin flaking, hair loss or dry nails which break easily caused by a lack of calcium, or deficiency of protein or minerals. May also cause premature wrinkling, and dental problems, binge and purge cycles that result in stomach acid washing over teeth ys to understand eating disorders which may cause loss of enamel and possibly gum disease. But these are not the only symptoms to detect potential eating disorders. Some psycho- logical changes in a person include: a shift in personality, withdrawal, depres- sion and overactivity, a need for perfection, hypersensitivity to criticism, M fear of self-expression, and inability to make decisions. Beye also suggested proper ways to deal with a friend with an eating disorder such as: don't turn the person into the disorder by seeing him or her as a person first, break the cycle of denial and learn and relate facts about dangers of the disorder, don't add to feeling of guilt or shame and talk with the victim not at them, keep the condition confidential and re- member you can't change them, and stay in touch with your own feelings, as individuals with disorders aren't capable of handling the anger and fears of others. Unfortunately, Beye said, distinctions be-, tween disorders do not always remain constant. Often the lines between disorders become blurred making detection difficult or even im- possible. "There are a wide spectrum of disorders, often individuals don't fall into one specific group," she said. Suzanne Fechner-Bates, a clinical psycholo- gist at Counseling Services was one of the coordinators of this event. "We wanted to raise awareness and provide and educational opportunity for the friends family and people suffering from eating disor- ders," she said. Although only a dozen people were ableto benefit from the event, Fechner-Bates said that she was pleased with it's outcome. "I think that the issues raised were valuable for both the facilitators as well as the audience." Christina, an LSA junior who declined to give her last name, found the event interesting and informative. "It helped me find ways to talk to those close to me with disorders. It's a very personal issue and it's hard to talk about your own experiences as well as others,"she said. Israel, PLO agree on issues of security r ~ CAIRO, Egypt (AP) - Yasser Arafat and Shimon Peres, Israel's for- eign minister, reached agreement yes- terday on some critical security issues that have stalled the Israeli-PLO peace accord. Peres said he and the PLO chair had settled "five or six of the most compli- cated issues" involved in turning over wcontrol of the occupied Gaza Strip and West Bank town of Jericho to the Pal- estinians. The final deal is to be negotiated between Arafat and Israeli Prime Min- ister Yitzhak Rabin. The two sides were haggling over control of the crossings from the au- tonomous Palestinian areas to Egypt and Jordan, security for Jewish settlers Owho remain in Gaza and how much land around Jericho would be ceded to Palestinian control. Among the issues left for Arafat and Rabin to decide was the size of the Jericho area, Peres said. Arafat said the new pact was "a very important step to implement the agreement from paper to the ground. * "We can say that Palestine - and *the name of Palestine - has returned to the map of the Middle East," he added. Peres and Arafat initialed a21-page document, complete with maps, at a ceremony hosted by Egyptian Presi- dent Hosni Mubarak at the end of three days of talks. Man assaulted i Diag last night By BARB McKELVEY FOR THE DAILY An unidentified man in his mid-30s was assaulted in the Diag late last evening, said Police Sergeant Bob Newman of the Department of Public Safety (DPS). An acquaintance alleg- *dly struck the victim on the head with a bottle and then stole $20. The attacked man, who police said is not affiliated with the University, sustained a concussion but no further injuries were reported. Police said the victim can only identify the attacker by his first name. DPS declined to release any information about the assailant. DPS received a call at 9:30 p.m. Oftom a passerby, who notified them from the Graduate Library. The victim was transported by ambulance to the University Hospitals. He is reported to be in stable condition. DPS is still investigating the inci- dent and Newman said further details will be available later today. 'Starlight, starbright' 'U' astronomer explains why stars twinkle By SCOT WOODS DAILY STAFF REPORTER Walking alone in the silence of a February night, you brace yourself against the icy wind. You can see your breath and hear the crunch of snow under the thick soles of your boots. Above, countless thousands of stars twinkle, deceiving the eye as they seem to change: red, green, then gone! And back again, a steady white. The mystery of twinkling stars eluded astrono- mers for centuries, but to modern science there is a simple explanation - the atmosphere. Astronomy Prof. Richard Teske explained that moving air bends and distorts a star's light, making it seem to disappear for an instant. "The total result of a great number of momentary small distortions is the twinkling that we see," Teske said. Twinkling - known to astronomers as "scin- tillation" - is especially noticeable this time of year, as air heated by buildings and factories rises and clashes with cold atmospheric air. "The temperature contrast is greater and the air currents are more vigorous" in the winter, Teske said. Stars near the horizon appear to sparkle more intensely because their light enters the atmosphere at a low angle and has to pass through much more air. For example, Sirius, the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major, is just above the hori- zon early in the evening and scintillates vigor- ously. A few hours later, when Sirius has risen about 30 degrees, its light is much more constant. Teske said scintillation disrupts astronomical viewing, placing limits on research possible from earth. University scientists get around much of the problem by selecting an appropriate location. Kitt Peak, located about 60 miles from Tuc- son, Ariz., is the home of the Michigan-Dartmouth- MIT Observatory. Perched nearly 7,000feet above sea level, its two large reflectors avoid atmo- spheric distortion by going above it. Teske, who was director of the observatory from 1986-91, said Michigan scientists have ac- cess to the 2.4 meter reflector of Hiltner Tele- scope, the second largest on Kitt Peak. Four University astronomy professors have taken the next step - the Hubble Space Tele- scope. Orbiting high above the earth's atmb- sphere, the Hubble can capture greater detail with a much smaller reflector. For these astronomets, the heavens are an unblinking subject they are just beginning to explore. But for the rest of the earth-bound population, the stars will continue to offer a "scintillating" show every night. Knowing why the stars twinkle does not seem to detract from their beauty. MARY KOUKHAB/Daily The YMCA on South Fifth Avenue has been a topic of discussion at recent council meetings. Loan-may doom 'IY' housing By JAMES M. NASH DAILY STAFF REPORTER For nearly two months, Ann Arbor City Coun- cil members have been debating whether to finan- cially sustain the local YMCA's low-income housing development. Last night they learned they may have no choice. A memo from City Attorney Elizabeth Schwartz said the city's five-year-old pledge to back a $1.6 million loan to the YMCA may have been illegal. The Michigan Constitution bars cit- ies from loaning to most public projects. If the November 1988 loan agreement be- tween Ann Arbor and the "Y" falls through, the housing development's 100 residents may be left without a place to live. The non-profit YMCA has increasingly relied on city credit to fund its housing development on South Fifth Avenue across from the public library. On the council agenda last night was a pro- posal to give the "Y" $25,000 to cover the association's February loan payments. The pro- posal was derailed by Schwartz's memo. "This raises some legal questions that are much larger and more serious than we had ex- pected," said Councilmember Larry Hunter (D- 1st Ward). The council will reconsider the loan payments atitsFeb. 22 meeting. Beforeproceeding, Schwartz said she will seek the state attorney general's opinion whether the guarantee was legal. "Upon review of the available facts and the applicable law, I have serious doubts about the legality of the guarantee," Schwartz wrote Mon- day in a memo to council members. "My view is shared by the State Department of Treasury." If the city backs out of the 1988 loan guaran- tee, it risks a lawsuit from the YMCA and Great Lakes Bancorp, which issued the loan. Council members also face the moral dilemma of allow- ing the "Y" to sink and evict its tenants, said Mayor Ingrid Sheldon. "We have an obligation to untangle our- selves from this mess without closing the 'Y,"' Sheldon said after the meeting. "I think it is in everybody's interest to maintain the 'Y."' Officials from the city, YMCA and Great Lakes Bancorp plan to meet soon to keep their dispute out of the courts. "We could have three, four or five different lawsuits," Sheldon said. In November 1988, the City Council voted to back a loan guarantee to the YMCA for a three- floor addition to the residence facility. The city's commitment to the YMCA has been in question since January, when budget projections revealed that the city could be liable for as much as $1 million to support the housing project through the decade. Harding to sue U.S. Olympic Committee for spot,. $20 million PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - Attorneys for Tonya Harding filed a $20 million lawsuit against the U.S. Olympic Committee late yesterday, seek- ing to prevent it from interfering with her partici- pation in the Lillehammer Games. The 16-page suit, filed in Clackamas County Circuit Court in the suburb of Oregon City a half- hour before the courthouse closed, acknowledges that people close to Harding have been charged with conspiracy in the attack on Nancy Kerrigan, but said no charges have been filed against her. It seeks $20 million in punitive damages. The document says Harding has complied with all rules and regulations of the U.S. Figure Skating Association. Radio station KEX learned of the filing, and an employee in the clerk's office confirmed to The Associated Press that the lawsuit had been filed. Harding's attorney, Robert Weaver, did not immediately return telephone calls. Earlier yesterday, Harding's ex-husband asked a court for permission to travel to Norway to testify in the U.S. Olympic Committee proceed- ings against her. Jeff Gillooly also asked that the results of 4n FBI lie-detector test he took as part of his plea bargain arrangement be disclosed so he can present them to the USOC committee, which is scheduled to convene in Oslo on Tuesday to determine whether Harding should be removed from the Olympic team. A hearing was set for 5:30 p.m. today for the request to be considered. Gillooly has pleaded guilty to racketeering for his role in the Jan. 6 attack in Detroit on Kerrigan. He has said Harding was in on the plot and gave the final go-ahead. In exchange for his plea, he will be sentenced to two years in prison and fined $100,000, and no additional charges will be filed against him. Harding has denied Gillooly's alle- gations but has admitted she learned that people around her were involved when she returned from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships and did not report it to authorities immediately. Study shows nearly half of all Americans experience psychiatric disorders By SOMA GUPTA DAILY STAFF REPORTER A recent University study funded by the National Institutes of Health claims that nearly half of all Americans have had a psychiatric disorder at some time in their lives and that almost 30 percent have had one within the last year. This is the first national study to be conducted on such an issue. "A number of regional studies have been carried out over the past decade, but they found lower estimates than this nationally representative study," said Ronald J. Kessler, principal inves- tigator of the Institute for Social Re- search (ISR) study, in the January issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. The implications of this study in the field of psychiatry are far reaching. "Many medical professionals are simply unaware of the success rates possible through adequate treatment of many psychiatric disorder," said Dr. Robert Rose, director of Research Net- work on Mind-Body Interactions. "At the same time, society in gen- eral seems to have shared an incorrect belief that diagnosis of a mental disor- der labels a person as dysfunctional for life, with little hope of recovery," Rose added. The study found that major depres- sion and alcohol dependence were the two most common disorders. Almost 17 percent of the population has suf- fered from an episode of major depres- sion and almost 14 percent has suffered from alcohol dependence throughout the course of their life sometime. The study also found trends indi- cating that women suffer more often from anxiety and affective disorders while men suffer more often from sub- stance abuse disorders and anti-social personality disorders and that the high- est rates of mental illness occur be- tween the ages of 25 and 34. A diagnostic interview was used to assess the mental health of a nationally representative sample of over 8,000 civilian, non-institutionalized persons, according to a University press release. Kessler also noted that not every- one who has had a psychiatric disorder at some point in their life needs psychi- atric help. "Just as there is wide varia- tion in the severity ofphysical illnesses, so too with psychiatric disorders," he said. This is reflected in the finding that only about 40 percent of those with a lifetime disorder have ever received professional treatment and less than 20 percent of those with a recent episode have received treatment within the list year. Different areas of the country afso show specific demographic trends. Lifetime substance use disorders and lifetime antisocial personality disor- ders are highest in the West, while lifetime anxiety disorders are highest in the Northeast. Virtually all lifetime disorders are lowest in the South. However, Americans in rural areas are no less likely than their urban coun- terparts to suffer from a lifetime or one- year psychiatric disorder, according to the release. "We' learn a great deal from this report about the importance of viewing psychological disorders in much the same way we view physical disorders," Rose said. Group Meetings U Association for Computing Machinery, EECS Building, Room 1500, 7:30 p.m. 0 Bicultural Women's Group, Michigan Union, Room 1209, 8 p.m. U Circle KInternational, Mosher- Jordan, Muppy Lounge, 7:30 p.m. U Saint Mary Student Parish, graduate/young professionals discussion group, education commission, 331 Thompson, 7 p.m. 1 Taiwanese AmericannStudAnts Events Q Career Pathways in Art, spon- sored by Career Planing and Placement, Art&Arch. Build- ing, Room 2216, 5:30-7 p.m. U Careers in Engineering & Physical Sciences, sponsored by Career Planing and Place- ment, G.G. Brown Lab, Room 1504, 6:30-8 p.m. Q Daiamondo's are still a Girl's Best Friend: Some Anthropo- logical Observations of Japa- nese Popular Music, speaker: James Stanlaw, sponsored by the Center for Tananese tud- U Israeli Economy and the Peace Process, at Hillel, 1429 Hill St., 7:30 p.m. U Shulchan Ivrit, at Dominick's, 812 Monroe, 5 p.m. Student services U 76-GUIDE, peer counseling phone line, call 76-GUIDE, 7 p.m.-8 a.m. U Campus Information Center,. Michigan Union, 763-INFO; events info., 76-EVENT; film info., 763-FILM. U North Campus Information Centar Nlnrth CamnivCom- Looking for a good exchange rate to study abroad next semester? I i1 5 I