Students seek to raise awareness for eating disorders
SPECIAL TO THE ORACLE
Over 30 million Americans suffer from eating disorders each year, but the Celebrating EveryBody: A Walk for Eating Disorders Awareness wants to change that.
The walk, which take place Sunday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium, aims to educate participants about the prevalence of eating disorders and provide a community for those who are currently struggling.
The event is organized by two USF students in the College of Public Health who used to have eating disorders. It benefits the Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness.
Alliance CEO Johanna Kandel founded the organization 16 years ago, when she was recovering from an eating disorder.
“I was very dismayed that people weren't talking about it,” she explained. “This was in the late 1990s, beginning of 2000 and I really wanted people to know that not only is this not a disorder of choice, but eating disorders are serious psychological disorders and they are not about vanity.”
The walk will feature events and live music for those who don’t want to walk the one-mile loop around the stadium. One such event is a “scale smash.”
“People can write their thoughts on a scale and actually get the opportunity to smash the scale. Registered participants will get to participate in the scale smash following the walk,” Melanie Marshall, one of the event organizers, said in an email.
Kandel hopes the walk will lead to a productive conversation about eating disorders that can help those suffering to know that they are not alone.
“I think it’s time for us to all come out and to recognize that this is a significant psychological disorder,” she said. “With proper education, awareness and treatment, we can absolutely work towards a day sometime down the road where eating disorders are no longer the psychological disorder that has the highest mortality rate.”
The goal of the walk is to raise money to provide free professional-led support sessions for people with eating disorders in Tampa Bay.
“It’s my hope that the walk … starts to create conversation, that it shatters the shame and stigma surrounding eating disorders and I hope that it brings the community together to say that it’s OK to talk about it, it’s OK to get help and that there is recovery,” Kandel said.
More Stories
USF student court rules candidates didn’t intimidate voters
Students might have noticed that the official announcement for the Student Government (SG) presidential elections for the upcoming term was delayed. Here’s a look at what slowed down the process. Suryakanth Prasad Gottipati and Sumit Subhash Jadhav won the election with 1,702 votes. However, Alexa Matos and Rithvik Lee Pack, presidential candidates and runner-ups, filed […]
Trouble following USF divestment debate updates? Here’s what to know.
Since last fall, a group of USF students have been calling for the university to divest. With months of protests and news, here’s a breakdown of the divestment movement. Related: USF student leaders narrowly pass divestment measure On Oct. 7, a designated terrorist group, known as Hamas, launched an attack on Israel, according to a […]
USF ditched its trademark green regalia. Are students digging it?
With commencement around the corner, seniors are sizing up the newly redesigned caps and gowns they’ll don next week. But does the new regalia get the Bulls’ approval? Students can’t agree. Last fall, USF replaced its signature green regalia with a black cap and gown with green accents. The placement of university seals on the […]
Recording in USF’s MSC isn’t allowed. Here’s how you can get approval.
Students from various majors are starting to record their last video projects for their classes as finals week approaches. It’s all fun and games until students are prohibited from recording in one of the most iconic USF buildings — the Marshall Student Center (MSC). However, Althea Johnson, a USF spokesperson, said recording isn’t entirely prohibited […]
USF admin’s response to suicides unclear. What we know so far.
USF’s administration will not say who or how it will prevent future suicides on campus a month after a student leapt from an upper floor balcony of the Interdisciplinary Science Building – the third suicide since fall 2022. The Oracle has asked repeatedly about which USF administrators are overseeing suicide prevention initiatives and how the […]
USF SG leaders look back on campaign accomplishments while on non-speaking terms
Student body president Cesar Esmeraldi and vice president Elizabeth Volmy reached nearly every campaign goal during their term. The one thing that didn’t persevere was their unity. The pair ended their tenure reflecting on it from separate rooms. “We’ve had a great year,” Esmeraldi said. “I’m very happy with everything we’ve built. But because of […]