The week of February 22nd-28th was an awareness week across the nation for eating disorders. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of all mental illnesses. An eating disorder is not a diet, but a disease.
Across campus during the week there were informative productions put on by the Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) to inform the student body of eating disorders and the problems they cause. The Kansas Union hosted a free showing of an episode of “Intervention,” about two women struggling with eating disorders, as well as made sure the sidewalks around campus supported shocking statistics to hook the interest of passers-by.
One of KU’s sidewalk notes: Anorexia alone kills one out of every five of its victims.
Almost one-half of teenage girls and over one-third of teenage boys use unhealthy ways to diet because they are unhappy with how they look, including smoking, fasting, vomiting, and the use of laxatives. One in 200 people will have anorexia or bulimia in their life; 10% of these are men.
In the last 3 years, 100% of states have participated in National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Those who suffer from an eating disorder suffer from a deeper root problem than just a refusal to eat and digest the food that should be part of their daily supplements. Psychological, emotional and societal influences are some of the most common origins of these disorders that develop. Only 30% of those individuals who suffer from an eating disorder will ever recover from their lifelong disease.
If you or anyone you know suffers from an eating disorder and needs help, contact the NEDA hotline at 1-800-931-2237 Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.—9 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m.—5 p.m., or chat with the helpline for help, just simply leave a message on their site at www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.
If you’d like to contact CAPS, their hotline is 785-864-2277, open 8 a.m.—5 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m.—6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.