Every year, the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) spearheads an awareness week aimed to bring more light to eating disorders and the resources available for those in need. This year’s campaign ran from February 27th to March 3rd.

At OSU, the purpose of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week was to inform the OSU community about eating disorders and to reduce body stigma. The theme this year was “Positive Body, Positive Mind”.

The initiative was a joint effort by Counseling and Psychological Services, the Active Minds club, ASOSU, the Nutrition and Dietetics Club, Student Health Services, Dixon Recreation Center, Orange Media Network and OSUPC. The organizations collaborated to plan events throughout the week.

Among the events held were a yoga session, an educational talk about food, weight, and health and a cooking session followed by a workshop. These events were founded in health at every size, intuitive eating and body acceptance, to help people with eating disorders know that recovery is possible.

Throughout the week, the organizations hosting the event also tabled at the MU Quad to promote body acceptance and spread awareness about the prevalence of eating disorders.

Maia Penchansky and Erin Schulberg, both Committee Chairs acting as a liaison for the Nutrition and Dietetics Club, said the week has been going great, and that they are feeling encouraged by all the positive feedback they have been receiving from participants.

“This week is an important outreach effort – especially on a college campus where eating disorders are incredibly prevalent,” Penchansky said. “We appreciate that the body positivity movement is gaining momentum and people are starting to reclaim their bodies as their own. We are so happy to see so much support on this campus and hope the momentum continues after NEDA week.”

They wanted their efforts to help people discover that they are not alone in their struggles and that there are caring individuals willing to encourage recovery and body acceptance, and to increase awareness.

CAPS Student Outreach Assistants Sean Borne and Lily Grant, both agreed. They both loved the theme of body positivity.

“We want to reduce the stigma around needing a ‘Hollywood’ body as portrayed by social media,” Borne said.

“We are promoting the idea of being healthy and having confidence in your own skin, not having to look a certain way,” Grant added.

The organizers hoped that their message did not only reach students affected by eating disorders, but the whole OSU community. They want students to know that eating disorders can affect people of every size, gender, and socioeconomic status.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please reach out and know that recovery is possible.

Eating Disorders Anonymous meets on campus Mondays at 6 PM in Dixon Lodge. CAPS is available to anyone who is struggling with an eating disorder.