Living in a culture that is often image-conscious can make healthy eating habits and an appreciation of one's own body difficult to attain.
To combat this problem, the Hoos Open to Preventing Eating disorders has teamed up with the Center for Counseling and Psychological Services to host an event titled "Exploring your Relationships to Food, Exercise and Self-Esteem," in Dabney's Residence Life Conference Room from 4 to 5 p.m. today.
The event is one of several planned this week to help promote National Eating Disorder Awareness Week around the University. HOPE and CAPS organized various activities around Grounds to educate students about eating disorders. Events include talks on fitness and nutrition, videos focused on body image and a panel of students sharing their experiences of recovery from eating disorders.
Tonight's program involves students filling out an Eating Attitude Test to help determine if they may have an eating disorder. The EAT is entirely confidential, and students can choose to follow up the test by meeting with a counselor to learn more about their test results.
"We encourage all students to take the test, either to find out information for themselves or for a friend who may have an eating disorder," CAPS eating disorders specialist Emily Lape said. "They can meet with a counselor to find ways to approach a friend who has a problem or to learn about different treatment options."
Lape also stressed that this is not just a program designed for females, and in fact, about one in four or five of all those diagnosed with an eating disorder are male -- a drastic increase from previous estimates of 1 in 10.
As an additional incentive to take the EAT, all students who complete one are entered in a raffle to win various prizes such as a massage or a gift certificate to Northern Exposure.
For those unable to attend today's program, another will be held t his Friday during both lunch and dinner at O-Hill dinning hall. Those interested also can obtain a free Eating Attitude Test online at https://www.mentalhealthscreening.org/screening/select_screening.asp.
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