To help kick off National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Campus Advocates Against Sexual Violence and the Counseling Center are hosting “Day Without Dieting,” Feb. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Culp Center Atrium.
The theme for this year’s event is “Be Comfortable in your Genes!” It aims at changing the way students feel about their bodies.
“Eating disorders are taboo so people don’t like to talk about them,” said Becca Cole, graduate assistant for Campus Advocates Against Sexual Violence. “We really hope to bring it more into the light this year.”
Other organizations participating are: Student Health Clinic, Women’s Resource Center and Washington County Health Department.
The event is in recognition of National Disorder Awareness Week, which is Feb. 26 to March 4.
Free information and handouts related to eating disorders and healthy eating habits will be available.
In addition a free, confidential disordered screening will take place in front on the ARC.
The purpose of screening is early diagnosis and treatment. “This year we really hope more students will take the disordered eating screening,” said Cole.
In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Another 25 million are struggling with binge eating disorder.
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychological disease.
For more information, contact Becca Cole at zrmc16@imail.etsu.edu or stop by the ETSU Counseling Center.

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