“End the cycle”

By Sophie Szydlik asst. digital editor

During the fall semester, a neutral, offwhite flier made its way across the Syracuse University campus. Sage green leaves on either corner were paired with a simple, direct headline

— “Disordered Eating Support.”

When Tracy Mergler, the founder of the Safe Space Organization, hung these fliers, she didn’t think much of it, hoping students would respond to the QR code and express interest to help promote her new non-profit organization, Safe Space. Mergler said what she didn’t expect was that she needed a permit to hang the flier.

To Mergler, she didn’t understand why seeking to support students required a permit, because Syracuse University was missing the bigger picture.

“We actually got a large number of people to respond, which showed me very clearly the need,”

Mergler said. “People would accept the help if it was there, but it’s not. At least not enough.”

Every year, the National Eating Disorder Association recognizes National Eating Disorder Awareness Week (NEDAW) from Feb. 27 to March 5, a week designated toward destigmatizing and empowering individuals with eating disorders and promoting recovery.

The theme of NEDAW 2023 is C.A.R.E, which stands for “continue the conversation, act early, strengthen recovery and end the cycle.” As students, experts and providers alike examine SU’s approach to eating disorder recovery and the treatment landscape of central New York, they argued that these pillars are not reflected and that SU can, and must, do more.

Using her own recovery experience as a catalyst, Mergler founded the Safe Space Organization, a nonprofit mental health community center located in Syracuse. She explained that when her bulimia reached its tipping point, her loved ones held an intervention and it made her realize it would be easy for someone to slip through the cracks if no one recognized the signs of an eating disorder, especially on a campus the size of SU.

“What happens when you’re already struggling with an eating disorder, your body is already weak,” Mergler said. “So then you add college things — drugs, alcohol, sex — and it skyrockets you to the next level.”

Carolyn Hodges Chaffee, founder and CEO of the Upstate New York Eating Disorder Service, said Mergler was “in crisis.” Chaffee said the largest patient demographic the Upstate New York Eating Disorder Service sees is college-aged individuals. She explained that patients in crisis typically receive greater support and their eating disorders are deemed more severe.

This is an issue that a lot of college students are dealing with, especially young women, and it’s really hard to ask for help. Even if they just had a little more training, maybe I wouldn’t feel so alone

MJ Gray su senior

But in her 30 years of experience as a certified eating disorder specialist and registered dietitian, Chaffee explained she’s constantly seen these metrics as arbitrary and skewed.

see nedaw page 6