The National Eating Disorder Awareness Week kicked off with an informational meeting on Monday, Feb. 22 that was open to all Bradley students on Zoom. The theme for this year was: “EveryBODY Has A Seat At The Table.”
The attendees watched a TED Talk video by Kristie Amadio, who spoke about how it is possible to recover from eating disorders differently than what she had personally experienced.
The second half of the meeting consisted of a question and answer session with Lisa Fix-Griffin, a staff counselor at Bradley. The questions asked were both for personal concerns and tips on how to help loved ones who had eating disorders.
Allison Gile, senior dietetics major, led the planning for the National Eating Disorder Awareness Week along with the rest of the interns at the Body Project.
“I have struggled with eating disorders myself and have questioned why diet culture is so prevalent today for a while now,” Gile said. “My mission was to learn more about eating disorders myself and help educate other students who might be struggling with the same.”
The week consisted of events planned for every day. Tuesday consisted of self-care tips on social media. There was also a two-hour workshop on body image and how it has been affected by social media with tips to reduce its effect on one’s personal life.
Wednesday highlighted diversity. Students were sent a link to a TED Talk about how marginalized groups struggled with eating disorders and the resources they had to recover.
Thursday was a social media concentrated day with some myth busters on nutrition posted along with interactive polls on the Body Project’s official social media pages.
On Friday, the Body Project posted a video compilation of students talking about what self-care means to them, along with a number of resources on eating disorders.
“The goal of the week is to give students a well-rounded education of eating disorders and what recovery looks like,” said Autumn Brown, a freshman psychology major and an intern at the Body Project. “When I heard about the Body Project’s mission and what they do for students, it aligned perfectly with my mission to bring awareness and education to students on important matters.”
In the past, most Body Project events had been in-person, but Gile believed that there was not much of a difference in the events themselves, except for the fact that they are a little less interactive now with no in-person events.
Danielle Glassmeyer, the adviser of the Body Project and an associate professor in the English department, said that her time with the club has been rewarding.
“Every intern who has worked with the Body Project has brought something different to the table, but it always excites me to be able to facilitate a group of students and help them create a community outside of the classes I teach,” Glassmeyer said.
