Eating Disorder Awareness Week kicks off at BYU

BYU Womens Services & Resources (WSR) kicked off Eating Disorder Awareness Week on Feb. 9.

The department has an event planned for each day this week and invites all to come and learn.

A booth sat near the entrance of the Wilkinson Student Center. Green notecards lined the wall behind the booth with various answers to the prompt, I will nourish my body today by

The answers varied from eating and hydration habits to overall mental and spiritual wellness. The topic of Eating Disorder Awareness Week was essentially introduced as an icebreaker.

Claire Lowry, a junior studying pre-business, helped to market the event. She shared her thoughts on why the question was important.

Students can kind of reflect on how they are taking care of their body. And I think it just helps us think about like our eating patterns and how were doing with it, Lowry said.

This question was meant to spark a conversation into what eating disorders are and what resources are available to those who are affected.

Eating disorders are more than just food. They are included in the most recent edition of The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Illnesses, emphasizing the severe mental aspect of the disorders.

BYUs Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers free counseling sessions for students enrolled in nine credits and over, with a dietician specialist as an option for services.

WSR specifically has two main on-campus resources available for eating disorders: one-on-one nutrition consultations and a recovery support group called New Chapter.

The Eating Disorder Awareness booth at the Wilkinson Center gave more information about each of these resources as well as information about what eating disorders are, what they look like and how to support those with eating disorders.

Marcy Stratford, the nutrition and wellness specialist at WSR and the key coordinator in planning the weeks events, shared her thoughts on what she hopes the week will accomplish.

I think one of the biggest things is just helping students feel hope that are struggling or theyre trying to help people who are because eating disorders can feel very isolating and they can feel very lonely. And so if we can help provide resources to those students that are also going to help them have hope in the recovery, Stratford said.

The weeks events are meant to bring community as well as a greater understanding of nutrition, diet, and body image. There is a resounding theme of body positivity and inclusivity.

Education and awareness has the ability to break stigmas around eating disorders and empower those who are impacted by them.

Alana Toutai, a student who was at the booth, shared her thoughts on why this week was important to her.

I know a lot of people who have struggled with eating disorders, and it just affects every aspect of their life and its so hard to go through that, Toutai said. Making sure that we do our best to nourish our bodies in healthy ways, help us to prevent those unhealthy ways that people trying to cope with other underlying feelings.

WSR has events planned throughout the week to bring awareness and education to the issue. The events include a keynote speaker, a Q&A panel and a social media day about disrupting diet culture and an intuitive eating booth.

All of the events are resources to gain a greater understanding of the connection between nutrition and wellness. Through these events, support and solidarity for those in recovery can be felt.

I think bringing awareness is so important, one of the best ways you can bring awareness is to educate yourself. So even if you have only 10 minutes to stop by and learn a little bit, that can do so much good in the world because you never know when you will be the one that is either struggling or youll be asked to help someone who is, Stratford said.