Weeklong national event focuses on eating disorder prevention, awareness

By Lauren Guberman

Animal sciences senior Kim Hoffmeister knows eating disorders can happen to anyone – after all, it happened to her.

“It’s not just young girls who wanted to be ballerinas or gymnasts,” Hoffmeister said. “It was me, an average girl from Northern Kentucky. It could be a middle-aged female, a male college student or even a 12-year-old boy.”

UK will join universities nationwide by participating in National Eating Disorder Week, aimed at eating disorder awareness and prevention.

National Eating Disorder Awareness Week begins Sunday, and event organizers on UK’s campus will have information tables set up all week at the Johnson Center and on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in UK Clinic.

A “Love Your Body” yoga workshop will be Thursday at 4 p.m. in room 130 in the University Health Building.
Along with depression screenings offered in the lobby of the W. T. Young Library from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, an eating disorder screening will be offered in the same location.

On Tuesday, professional and peer speakers will talk about issues relating to eating disorders in “Speaking Out Against Eating Disorders” at 7:30 p.m. in room 206 of the Student Center.

Hoffmeister, who is helping coordinate the week of events, said people with eating disorders need to know they are not alone; 10 million women and one million men in the United States suffer from eating disorders, she said.

According to nationaleatingdisorders.org, types of eating disorders include:

• Anorexia nervosa, when someone will self-starve and cause excessive weight loss.
• Bulimia nervosa, which involves eating large amounts of food and then “purging” with methods such as vomiting, laxatives and excessive exercise.
• Binge eating disorder, when someone will have periods of eating that are uncontrolled, impulsive or continuous. No purging occurs, although the person may go on some sort of diet and feel shame after a binge.

“No one is safe from an eating disorder,” says Rebecca Tabony, senior staff psychologist at the UK Counseling & Testing Center. “(Americans) have gotten away from mindful eating.”

Jill Kindy, the health education coordinator for University Health Services, said like many other psychological ailments, eating disorders have many risks associated with them. Short-term effects include low energy and concentration levels. Eating disorders can also affect heart rhythm and lead to infertility.

Many resources both on campus and in the Lexington area offer assistance for people affected by eating disorders. The UK Counseling and Testing Center offers free counseling for students and an anonymous eating disorder screening on their Web site.

Kindy meets with students at the UK Clinic to discuss issues related to nutrition and body image.

Hoffmeister said she is raising money for the National Eating Disorder Association by helping to host a walk March 28 at Coldsteam Park. People interested in donating are asked to e-mail Hoffmeister at kimberly.hoffmeister@uky.edu. She hopes that with the support of the Lexington community they can reach their goal of raising $10,000 for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week.

“Whether it is by e-mailing a friend, texting a significant other, calling your parents, or even e-mailing me,” she said. “It is essential you get help now before it is too late.”