Students encouraged to get comfortable in ‘genes’
Eating Disorder Awareness Week launches at NDSU
College students know better than anyone the stresses instigated by classes, members of the opposite sex and life in general.
Because of the various pressures and stresses college students feel, they are more susceptible to an eating disorder, Marlys Borkhuis, assistant director and counselor for the NDSU Counseling Center, said.
Eighty-six percent of those suffering from eating disorders reported that the behavior began by age 20, and 43 percent reported that it began between the ages of 16 and 20, according to the Screening for Mental Health Web site at www.mentalhealthscreening.org.
In coordination with the national week for eating disorder awareness, the NDSU Counseling Center in Ceres 212 will conduct free eating disorder screenings from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 27 – March 3.
Those who go for the screening will fill out a questionnaire, watch an informational video, and may be given a referral for further help. Students who are screened and do not exhibit symptoms of an eating disorder may be referred to a dietician if they need help with eating healthier or dieting.
Participants are encouraged to set up appointments, although it is not required. Students who don’t want to go in to the Center may complete their screening online at the NDSU Counseling Center Web site.
“ The point (of the week) is to raise awareness of eating disorder issues, and in a sense to be preventive in nature as well,” Borkhuis said.
In addition to the free screenings, students from an apparel and textiles capstone course will put on a program on how to find the right jeans. Their program, “What Not to Wear — Jeans,” is a spin-off of the popular TLC series, “What Not to Wear.”
Using models and specific rules, those in attendance will learn how to select jeans that fit properly, rather than trying to fit their body to a specific pair of jeans. The program will be at 3:30 p.m. March 3 in the Century Theater.
“ You just have to learn it’s about finding jeans that fit our body and that flatter our body in the best way,” Borkuis said, “We don’t need to change our body.”
Another event coinciding with Eating Disorder Awareness Week is the Great Jeans Giveaway. Students are encouraged to drop off old jeans that don’t fit anymore in the Memorial Union prior to the “What Not to Wear — Jeans” program. All jeans will be donated to charities and the Eating Disorder Institute in Fargo. The premise is that instead of dieting to get back into too-small jeans, students should donate them to a good cause.
“ Women who are recovering from eating disorders at the Eating Disorder Institute downtown need jeans to fit into as they are recovering, and so they will get first pick,” Borkhuis said.
The purpose of the week is to make students aware that eating disorders are a serious problem and that help is available. Stress and pressure are strong forces in the lives of college students, but it shouldn’t cause students to engage in destructive eating behaviors.
For more information on Eating Disorder Awareness Week, go to www.ndsu.edu/counseling. Also, appointments for screenings can be made by calling the Counseling Center at 231-7671.