“Size four is the new six, size two is the new four, size zero is the new two,” or at least that’s what the tabloids, magazines and beauty-based reality shows tell us. It’s no wonder that, according to the National Eating Disorders Association, nearly 20% of college students suffer from some type of eating disorder.
College life is stressful enough as it is without the overwhelming pressures to fit into an unattainable body type, which is why this month Western Michigan University is working to bring awareness eating disorders and other destructive eating habits that many students face.
Both the Department of Health Promotion and Education at Sindecuse Health Center and the Southwest Michigan Eating Disorders Association (SMEDA) are working to educate the people of our community about eating disorders, as well as the professionals in our community on how to recognize and treat patients with eating disorders.
Theatre for Community Health, a peer education program in the Department of Health Promotion and Education at Sindecuse Health Center, opened the month of February with their debut performance of “Food Prisons,” a musical play on body image and eating disorders, on Thursday, Feb. 3.
Next, SMEDA will partner with Remuda Ranch, Western Michigan University’s Marketing Department, Department of Social Work, Department of Occupational Therapy, and Department of Health Promotion and Education at Sindecuse Health Center to bring showings of Darryl Roberts’ documentary on self image “America the Beautiful” to Kalamazoo. Two “America the Beautiful” viewings will take place; the first is at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 17, in the Little Theatre at WMU; and, the second is at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 26, in the Recital Hall at Kalamazoo College. Both showings are free and open to the public.
During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week, which will take place between Monday, Feb. 21 and Sunday, Feb. 27, the Department of Health Promotion and Education at Sindecuse Health Center hopes to bring a table to the Bernhard Center to reach students on a personal level and raise further awareness on campus about eating disorders and the resources available to help those who suffer from them.
In the midst of this work-hard-play-hard culture of college life, it’s easy to develop poor eating habits and unhealthy relationships with food, but when it begins to interfere with your life, you may be suffering from an eating disorder. Sindecuse Health Center urges those who may show signs of an eating disorder to talk to a counselor, visit Sindecuse Health Center, or even join a support group on campus. The following services are available through self-referral:
· Medical Evaluation & Treatment (269) 387-3290
· Personal Counseling and Individual Psychotherapy (269) 387-1850
· Nutrition Assessment & Counseling (269) 387-3290
· Helpful Resources (269) 387-3263
If you ever feel a friend is suffering from an eating disorder, talk to them and remind them you’re there for them and that there are a variety of ways of seeking help. Like any disorder or disease, having a strong support system is crucial to your loved one.