This year, National Eating Disorders Awareness Week is February 23 through March 1. NEDAwareness Week, which was supported by all 50 states and 51 other countries last year, aims at targeting the prevention of eating disorders as well as combatting the stigmas that surround them. Anyone and everyone can be involved in NEDAwareness Week, especially you!
Any way that you can contribute makes a difference; your time is just as (if not more) precious as any financial contribution. If you’re looking for a way to get more involved in raising awareness during NEDAwareness Week, HC has compiled a short (and easy) list of ways to get involved.
1. Join a Virtual Walk
This “walk” doesn’t require any physical exertion. Though there is an actual walk that you can sign up for, you can also promote awareness about eating disorders and collect pledges through social media outlets such as Facebook or Twitter. This year’s fundraising goal is $3,000. If you want to participate, be sure to check out the NEDA site.
2. Host a Movie Screening or Go to an Event
Ask your RA to help you arrange a movie screening for your floor or dorm, or take charge and plan one on your own! The National Eating Disorders Association has a list of suggested films to help spark conversation and discussion among you and your peers. If you don’t want the responsibility of hosting an event, there are hundreds of events taking place all over the country for you and your friends to attend.
3. Raise Awareness on Campus
There are many easy ways for you to raise awareness about eating disorders on your college campus. You can print off posters to hang around the quad or in the dining halls, or even build a life-sized Barbie doll to show how unrealistic girls’ expectations for their bodies really are. Both of these effective activities won’t take up too much of your time or money, but could have a lasting impact on your campus community.
4. Get Social
Using social media outlets is a great way to get the word out about NEDAwareness Week. Follow NEDA on Twitter, or if blogging is more your thing, write a guest blog for NEDAwareness Week. Using social media to alert your friends and family about NEDAwareness Week will definitely further the cause, and it’s one of the easiest ways to get involved!
5. Tell Her Campus How You’re #LovingMe
This year, Her Campus is launching The #LovingMe Project to celebrate the things we love about ourselves—unrelated to our physical appearance. From now through Sunday, March 2, we want you (and your roomies, sorority sisters, real-life sisters, friends, you name it!) to think about what you love most about yourself, and to share it with us by Instagramming or tweeting a photo that represents what you love at us (@hercampus) with #LovingMe. You can also share photo on our Facebook page with #LovingMe.
Maybe you love that you’re a great writer—snap a shot of you at your desk penning your latest novel (or blog post!). Maybe you love that you’re a loyal friend—take a pic of you hugging your bestie! Maybe you love that you’re fearless—share a photo of you skydiving (or trying escargot!).
Next week, we’ll gather our favorite pictures that you’ve shared with us and put them together in a #LovingMe Project album on our Facebook page, and everyone can get a peek at all of the incredible, positive, uplifting, powerful qualities we all love ourselves for.
No matter what your relationship to eating disorders is, getting involved in the prevention of eating disorders, especially on college campuses, is an important thing to do. Together, we can make the world a little easier for women and men who struggle with these disorders, and help them in their recovery.