Yale student , 92 lbs., stuffed her face with Cheetos, ice cream to pacify school officials Undergrad says she’s naturally thin

NEW HAVEN >> Frances Chan says she’s done stuffing her face with ice cream and Cheetos just to make Yale University happy. After months of wrangling, the university finally agrees.

The 20-year-old history major has spent the past few months sparring with Yale’s health center over her low weight. Chan is 5’2” and 92 lbs., and Yale doctors were concerned her health was severely at risk.

She contended that she’s always been very thin, as were her parents and grandparents at her age.

Yet until Friday, Yale had been telling Chan she might be forced to leave school if she didn’t put on some pounds.

“It felt really bad to be this powerless,” Chan said, taking in some afternoon sun in a campus courtyard. “I ate ice cream twice a day. I ate cookies. I used elevators instead of walking up stairs. But I don’t really gain any weight.”

Chan’s battle over her weight began last year. In September, she went to Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale-New Haven to have a breast lump checked. The lump was benign, but the visit led Yale Health to take a closer look at Chan’s overall health.

Since December, Chan has had multiple medical appointments and mandatory weigh-ins. She met with a nutritionist and a mental health counselor, as well, to determine whether she might have an eating disorder. She said a nurse told her at one point that her low weight would kill her if she didn’t do something about it.

Although she attempted to do as she was told and eat more, Chan only managed to gain two pounds. Yale said that wasn’t enough.

Yale spokesman Tom Conroy said Friday the university was not allowed to discuss an individual student’s medical treatment, due to medical privacy regulations. “Yale has a strong system of mental health care for students,” Conroy said.

Yale University junior Frances Chan has spent months battling with the university over her weight. Yale University junior Frances Chan has spent months battling with the university over her weight. Photo: Journal Register Co. Photo: Journal Register Co. Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Yale student , 92 lbs., stuffed her face with Cheetos, ice cream to pacify school officials 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

He also noted that Yale Health Director Paul Genecin recently sent all students an email detailing improvements to campus mental health services. Those improvements include a student advisory committee on mental health and a series of “listening sessions” with groups of students.

Meanwhile, Chan’s parents in New Jersey contacted Yale Health officials to explain that she’d always been thin, but healthy. Chan’s family also sent Yale her childhood medical records and had a family doctor contact Yale.

By the time spring break rolled around, Chan decided she’d had enough. Spurred on by friends and other classmates, she wrote an essay about her experience for the Huffington Post. As a result of that piece, Chan began hearing from others who’d been through the same thing.

“It’s something we need to bring attention to,” Chan said. “I don’t want to get kicked out of school, but no one, so far, has been willing to stand up for me.”

The root of the problem, Chan said, was that Yale placed too much emphasis on the body mass index as the guiding measure of a person’s health. Body mass index, or BMI, is a number determined by a person’s weight and height. It is often used as a screening tool for a variety of possible weight problems in adults.

Chan said she’s contacted Yale Health officials many times, bringing up the idea that BMI may not be the best indicator of overall health for every person. She said a Yale doctor told her that while BMI is, indeed, only one factor, it is highly important.

With the end of the academic year just weeks away, Chan was anxious to satisfy Yale’s demands even if she can’t gain much more weight. Her parents came to New Haven to meet with health officials on campus, and she’s switched to a new physician.

Also, Chan has written to Yale President Peter Salovey to make him aware of her situation.

“At Yale, you’re taught to be the change that you want to see in the world,” Chan said. “Well, this seems like an easy thing to change.”

On Friday, she learned just how easy. Chan said her new physician acknowledged that BMI was not the only significant measure of proper health.

“So she trusts that I do not have an eating disorder and admitted that ‘we made a mistake,’” Chan said.

Chan, for her part, agreed to continue coming to Yale Health for monitoring — but only once a semester.

And her next bowl of ice cream? That will be for pleasure, not pounds.

Call Jim Shelton at 203-789-5664. Have questions, feedback or ideas about our news coverage? Connect directly with the editors of the New Haven Register at AskTheRegister.com.