One summer night in July of 1999, Kristen Watt was deep in slumber when her heart suddenly stopped. In the one place she was free of the hunger, she lost her battle to anorexia and bulimia. Kristen Watt was just 14.

 Distraught parents Mike and Stephanie Watt used this tragedy to help others in the same situation. With its many volunteers and generous donations, the Kristen Watt Foundation was established.

 Volunteers of the KWF give presentations to thousands of students and adults throughout San Joaquin County.

 One of these volunteers, Alexandra Caspero, is on campus every Thursday. She is a nutritionist for Stagg as well as for the University of the Pacific.

 Caspero got involved in this because she wanted to be a part of something important.

 Caspero said that she and the other parents want teens to have a benefit that Kristen Watt wasn’t fortunate enough to have. That benefit is help.

 “They didn’t have the resources to help their own daughter, but they wanted to bring the resources to other kids,” she said.

 Caspero hates that teens are insecure about their lives and wants to increase their self esteem. She spans her work to other places, but is excited to be reaching a high school and college audience.

 “They’re the ones that try so hard to be perfect,” she said. “It’s all about body image at that age.”

 There is a site titled Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. According to anad.org, 95 percent of those with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25.

 “They look at the people in the magazines and think ‘this is what I’m supposed to look like,’ but that’s not right at all,” Caspero said.

 Though people with eating disorders are attempting to feel better about themselves, they are often the most unhappy. Not only does depression sometimes play a role in generating disorders, but eating disorders can cause depression.

 The frailty of their bodies definitely takes an emotional toll.

 “Basically eating disorders destroy your insides,” Caspero said. “Of all the mental illnesses, eating disorders have the highest fatality rate.”

 A lot of teens are confused as to what they should do if they suspect they have an eating disorder. Caspero recommends for them to seek help as soon as possible.

 “An eating disorder is almost impossible to treat on your own,” she said. “The sooner you come in, the sooner we can get you on the road to recovery.”

 For those that suspect a friend has an eating disorder, Caspero recommends something different. Instead of trying to solve such a huge issue, she said that it would be best to hand the issue over to someone experienced.

 “Usually if you try to confront a friend, they will get very defensive,” she said. “You can just give me their name and I’ll call them in.”

 Lastly, for those that want to take part in a friend’s recovery, she recommends something very important.

 “Just having someone to support them would mean the world,” Caspero said. “A support system is important.”

 Caspero is in the Healthy Start office every week and if any student wishes to have a counseling session with her or refer a friend, they only need to make an appointment.

 She will deal with anything related to nutrition and is eager to start helping more students. Everything is completely confidential.

 “I’m not going to get on the phone and start calling parents because that’s not what I do,” Caspero said, “I’m just here to help.”