The AU Counseling Center and Wellness Center are continuing to bring attention to eating disorders on campus by observing Body Image Awareness Week from April 2 to 7.
National Eating Disorders Month is celebrated during February, but in the past AU has celebrated it the week of the NEDA Walk, according to the AU Counseling Center.
According to the AU Counseling Center, a consistent number of people continue to seek help in order to fight eating disorders on-campus.
There have not been any notable fluctuations in the number of students reporting eating disorders at AU, according to Amanda Rahimi, the assistant director for outreach and consultation at the AU Counseling Center.
“It seems like our numbers have remained consistent over the years, that consistency reflects the national percentages also of how many people struggle with eating disorders,” Rahimi said.
If students are concerned about a friend, being supportive and understanding is one of the most important steps to take, according to Rahimi.
The Wellness Center will be hosting an “End Body Bashing” event to bring awareness to the negative influence of self images in the media on April 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in MGC. Students can bring a magazine that promotes body bashing to the table and receive a prize.
The AU Wellness Center is also hosting a “Healthy Bodies” tabling event in Mary Graydon Center on April 4 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The AU Counseling Center has a free, anonymous self-assessment eating disorders test available to students on their website if students want to learn more about their eating issues, according to Rahimi.
“The thing with eating disorders is that it’s tricky sometimes to have students put themselves in other students’ shoes and have them understand what it truly means to struggle with an eating disorder,” Rahimi said.
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