Profiling Eating Disorder Awareness Week

Schultz: eating disorders are 'the second leading cause of death in the mental health field. Opioids are number one.'

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UTD’s Student Wellness Center partnered with on-campus and national organizations to host National Eating Disorder Awareness Week at the end of February, reminding Comets that their wellbeing is not dictated by their weight. The Wellness Center kicked off their in-person events with “Mirrors on the Mall”, which—although moved inside by the weather—saw students writing body-positive messages on their reflections. “Body Positive Yoga” continued the cheer on Wednesday, looking to provide a judgement-free zone for students to relax and meditate at the SSA Gaming Wall.

Thursday brought in the SWC’s national collaborators via a Teams panel where experts from the Eating Recovery Center spoke on body image, how to spot signs of disordered eating and how to encourage struggling loved ones to seek out help and go through recovery.

At Friday’s closing party, students were invited to Rec Center West to play games, make s’mores and cathartically smash a piñata that guests had filled with negative thoughts about their own self-image.

Psychology sophomore Anisha Holla and biomedical engineering senior Ananya Kumaresh were present at many of the week’s events as SWC Peer Health Educators, responsible for reaching out to fellow students and boosting health awareness through programs like NEDA Week.

“From the time that I’ve been here, it’s been really fun getting to hold these events and…combine fun things like s’mores with awareness for eating disorders, and stuff like that,” Holla said.

Both of them spoke highly of the resources available to students through organizations like the Wellness Center. Additionally, campus partners like the Student Counseling Center and the Center for Students in Recovery provide crucial support to Comets throughout the year.

“The Center for Students in Recovery—which is also one of the partners for this event—they have ‘Nourish,’ an eating disorder support group,” said Kumaresh. “[They’re] facilitating that peer-to-peer interaction, you know, helping peers feel supported… as they work through and they’re going through recovery.”

With college an especially risky time for developing disordered eating—20% to 67% of U.S. students in the U.S. experience subthreshold ED symptoms—supportive programming is key. Student Wellness Center dietician

Daniel Schultz works directly with students, as well as on campus-wide programming like NEDA Week, to promote healthy habits and provide support.

“People find it hard to discuss these type of things going around in the world, and this happens to everyone and anyone,” Schultz said. “The goal of the Student Wellness Center is just to bring light to that… to share knowledge without a judgmental focus, without spreading false information.”

Schultz pointed out some myths that needed busting in the public conversation around eating disorders. They don’t just affect women, for example: research shows they’re an increasing problem for college-age men, as well. Furthermore, EDs can come in all shapes and sizes—it’s not “one size fits all” in the disorder field.

“A lot of the students I see…are what you’d say are ‘type A’ perfectionists,” he said. “I really try to tell them, ‘hey, we're all human’. Go easy. Take your time. Not everything is going to be peaches and cream all the time. Just take breaths, I think that's the biggest thing, take breaths.”

They hope to have all of these events funnel into a banquet on April 11 meant to highlight the success of women, which will be open to all UTD students and organizations. This invitation could mark the first official gathering for all on-campus women organizations, which Bhat said would be a monumental step in campus history that perfectly encapsulates the spirit of National Women’s History Month.

“[We want to create] a space where you will not be ignored, you will not be alone, we will always have interactive opportunities and events to make friends and build this community,” Nabeeha said.

Another organization, Women in Technology & Business, aims to prepare women of all colors and identities for success in the maledominated industries of technology and business. Their Vice President Bianca Chandwani, an ITS major, described the organization as an encouraging community. Now, WITB plans to expand on this relationship by hosting an open panel highlighting the success of women in internships and other opportunities on March 9.

“Different board members in different industries [will be] talking about their experiences, what made them successful and what they prepared for to be successful or what they struggled with,” Chandwani said.

The SWC, housed in SSA 14.270, may refer students to the SWC for specific information and assistance on disordered eating, among other resources.

“We have all sorts of resources—we're very welcoming! We have a big open space, and we love when students come in and just can chill and hang out. We have puzzles, we have a big TV for them

These two major organizations are leading women’s empowerment across campus, but they are far from the only ones. There are dozens of other unique and exceptional clubs, sororities and other organizations striving to empower and provide support to women, and they can easily be found online. Additionally, UTD regularly provides programs and talks across campus with the help of the Galerstein Gender Center, Institutional Diversity Initiatives and other organizations, both online and in-person. In the past, our campus has provided watch parties, training and safe zones – returning this month – to welcome women and give a sense of community.

As we celebrate the history of women this month, it shouldn’t take away from the women making history today and working for a stronger tomorrow in our campus body. Every day, women are advancing in their field and changing the world—and a lot of those women will start right here at UTD. Chandwani expressed this sentiment best.

“If you’re feeling disempowered with anything going on, there will always be women to support you,” she said.