Programs and services at U of G from Feb. 4 to 10
This week the country is taking part in Eating Disorder Awareness Week (EDAW), with many universities taking part. According to the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC), over one million Canadians are currently struggling with an eating disorder. In honour of EDAW, Guelph’s Market Square, along with other local landmarks across Canada, has been lit purple, which is the official colour of EDAW, for the #showusyourpurple campaign,.
This year’s theme is “Eating Disorders Can’t Afford to Wait,” and the NEDIC is looking to inspire Canadians to engage in events this week for numerous reasons, including an increase in education of eating disorders to “stigma-bust,” greater prevention efforts, enhanced training, and crucial caregiver support.
Eating disorders are strongly related to other mental illness diagnoses. The 1996 Ontario Mental Health Survey found an average of 42.5 per cent of women and 26 per cent of men were diagnosed with either an anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder on top of struggling with an eating disorder. This rate of comorbidity is not seriously acted upon in Canada, with 70 per cent of doctors having received only five hours or less of eating disorder-specific training in medical school. It is evident that enhanced training is necessary, as suggested by the NEDIC.
Body dysmorphia is a condition consistent in both anorexia and bulimia, and is characterized by a distorted self-image paired with excessive worrying about perceived flaws in one’s appearance. Often times people with advanced symptoms of eating disorders will deny that they are either healthy or underweight, and may not be able to objectively recognize this.
“It feels like my mind is a constant enemy of my body,” said Bo (name changed for privacy), a female U of G student currently struggling with symptoms of an eating disorder. “[Body dysmorphia] has made me constantly aware of my flaws which means I am always aware of how I am presenting myself in general to try to hide my imperfections.”
On Tuesday, Feb. 5, an exposé featuring a variety of information about eating disorders was hosted in the UC Courtyard. One of the exhibits was put on by the Student Nutrition Awareness Program (SNAP) and discussed healthy eating habits. What leads many people to develop an eating disorder is counting calories, which SNAP representatives noted is inaccurate when determining if a food is healthy, or “safe to eat.”
“A calorie is a calorie, but the quality of a calorie is much more important…the nutrients within that calorie matter more,” said Jessica Greenwood, a second year Applied Human Nutrition major and SNAP representative. SNAP was also present to encourage students to have a healthy relationship with food. “You should eat to reward yourself, but with healthy foods most of the time and [unhealthy food] in moderation,” said Greenwood.
There are plenty of other events taking place at U of G this week, including a cooking class at the Macdonald Institute on Thursday evening. Students can find the full schedule of programs and register for them on GryphLife.
In addition to general mental health services available through Counselling Services, the university offers therapy groups specific to those with eating disorders, including the Disordered Eating and Dieting Group and the group for Self-Compassion. If you are interested in joining a therapy group on campus, Counselling Services suggests speaking to a counsellor or physician from Health Services in order to get a referral.